Hero or villain Julian Assange leaves little room for nuance
After 14 years, Julian Assange returns to Australia as a free man. For some he is a traitor and spy, for others an icon of press freedom and democracy.
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- After 1901 days in prison in London, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been released and returned to his home country of Australia.
- This was made possible by a surprising deal with the US Department of Justice, which had previously demanded the extradition of the 52-year-old with demonstrative severity.
Secret documents, embassy escapes and a possible death sentence: the story of Julian Assange, which has been told on the world stage for years, contains all the aspects of a political thriller. Now the saga is suddenly heading towards its cinematic conclusion.
After 1901 days in prison in London, as calculated by Wikileaks, the disclosure platform founded by Assange, the Australian is on his way to freedom. This was made possible by a surprising deal with the US Department of Justice, which had previously demanded the 52-year-old's extradition with demonstrative severity.
The past few days have been exciting, his wife Stella Assange tells the BBC. It has been a back and forth over 72 hours. The couple have two sons, Gabriel and Max, who were born during Assange's time in the Ecuadorian embassy - more on this later. It will be a fundamental new start for the family: the children, now seven and five years old, have never seen their father in freedom, as Stella Assange reports.
The hacker has problems with the justice system
Julian Assange was born on July 3, 1971 in Townsville in the Australian state of Queensland. His parents separated before he was born and he moved more than 30 times in his youth. From his teenage years and then as a student - his subjects are programming, mathematics and physics, he does not graduate - he makes a name for himself as a hacker. This made him famous, but also got him into trouble with the Australian justice system.
In 2006, Assange founded the Wikileaks platform with the mission of supporting whistleblowers and bringing hidden information to light. From 2010 onwards, Wikileaks publishes secret material from US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan by whistleblower Chelsea Manning. The USA subsequently accused Assange of stealing and publishing secret material, thereby endangering the lives of US whistleblowers.
Opinions have been divided about the internet activist for years. Hero or villain: for his supporters, he is a courageous fighter who stood up to a powerful state. For his opponents, he is a spy and traitor.
Assange has been held in London's Belmarsh high-security prison since April 2019 - together with murderers, rapists and terrorists. He was never convicted. However, the USA wanted to try him on espionage charges and the risk of escape was considered high.
He could have faced up to 175 years in prison in the USA if there was no agreement and the UK ultimately extradited the Australian. In the meantime, Assange even fears that he could face the death penalty in the USA.
Escape to the Ecuadorian embassy
The legal tug-of-war has been going on for much longer. Assange caused a worldwide sensation when he fled to the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2012. At the time, he was to be brought to Sweden on rape charges.
The man with the characteristically light hair repeatedly appeared on the balcony of the embassy to his supporters and the media, giving dramatic press conferences. This is also where he meets his future wife Stella - the lawyer is part of his legal team. He has another son from his first marriage.
Assange stays in the embassy for seven years. The Swedish accusations were dropped due to a lack of evidence. In the end, however, Ecuador revoked his right to asylum and British police dragged him out of the embassy building in front of cameras in April 2019. The UK had announced the arrest long beforehand because Assange had violated parole conditions. The USA submits an extradition request.
Hiccups in court
A back and forth ensued: first, a London court imposed an extradition ban in January 2021. The judge cited the risk of suicide if Assange were to be taken to a US maximum security prison. However, at the end of 2021, the High Court surprisingly reversed the decision. The then British Home Secretary Priti Patel signs the extradition order.
Assange continues to fight back. In the end, he is successful: in May, the High Court partially grants an appeal. The case was due to be heard at the beginning of July. This now no longer happens.
