WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has arrived home in Australia after his release. He has made a deal with the United States, which means he will no longer have to serve prison time.
A crowd of people greeted Assange at Canberra Airport and chanted, among other phrases, “Julian, thank you” and “We love you, Julian.”
He waved to the crowd and quickly walked to his family. He kissed his wife Stella Assange and hugged his father.
Assange, 52, was held in a British prison cell for years awaiting possible extradition to the United States. There he was tried on charges of publishing secret government documents. WikiLeaks published sensitive information about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, among other matters.
Partial admission of guilt
Assange was put on a plane on Monday bound for Saipan, a US island in the Pacific Ocean, a few hours' flight from Australia. There he made a partial confession last night, after which he received a prison sentence equivalent to the time he had already served.
As a result, the journalist and whistleblower can now return to Australia as a free man.
