Australia Wife concerned about Julian Assange's state of health
Following the release and return home of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, the health consequences of his long imprisonment are still unclear, according to his wife. "We are worried," said Stella Assange on Thursday morning on the breakfast television program 7News. The seven years that the Australian spent holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London and the five years in the British high-security Belmarsh prison had left their mark. "He had to endure these hardships both mentally and physically," emphasized the 40-year-old lawyer.
27.06.2024, 12:27
SDA
Assange had been constantly within four walls for all these years. "So this is obviously having a serious impact on his health, and we will definitely try to have all the necessary examinations carried out to see how he is really doing," Stella Assange continued. Since returning home to Australia on Wednesday evening (local time), the 52-year-old has not yet made any public statements.
Very harsh prison conditions
A US court on the Mariana Island of Saipan - a US foreign territory in the Western Pacific - approved a deal between the Australian and the American judiciary in connection with espionage allegations on Wednesday. Assange is now a free man after 14 years of legal tug-of-war. Since 2010, Wikileaks had published secret material from US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan by whistleblower Chelsea Manning. The USA also accused Assange of endangering the lives of US whistleblowers.
Assange had never met his wife in freedom until his arrival in Canberra: Their relationship only began during his time at the Ecuadorian embassy. The couple, who have two children, were married in Belmarsh Prison in 2022. According to Wikileaks, Assange spent 23 hours a day in solitary confinement in a tiny cell. She described the moment when she was able to embrace her husband on Wednesday to 9Now: "We weren't allowed to kiss in Belmarsh prison, so it was the best day of my life." They both cried. "It was indescribable."
Stella Assange went on to say that her husband now wanted to spend time with his two young sons. "It will be a process - he was in captivity and locked up in very harsh conditions. We have not been able to have a normal family life until now." Assange now needs privacy and time: "We will let him decide for himself how he wants to spend his days and his time now." Above all, he is looking forward to swimming in the sea every day and sleeping in a real bed again, she told parliamentarians in Canberra. "He plans to taste real food and enjoy his freedom."
