Julian Assange LATEST: WikiLeaks founder will push for pardon against spying conviction as wife insists he needs time and space to recuperate following 14-year legal saga

It's been a criminal case of international intrigue that went on for 14 years as he spent years holed up in an embassy and then a high-security prison, reports Mark Duell.

But a long-awaited plea deal means Julian Assange has now arrived in his native Australia to be reunited with his family and start a new life as a free man.

The deal to secure the WikiLeaks founder's liberty has been in the making since at least March but really began in Canberra with a change of government in 2022.

Read Mark's report here:

A press conference hosted by WikiLeaks in Canberra has now ended following Julian Assange's return to Australia earlier today as his 14-year legal saga was brought to a close.

Here's what we learned:

• Stella Assange said her husband will need time and space to recuperate and to rediscover freedom following his ordeal as she appealed for privacy for their family.
• Mr Assange's lawyer Julian Robinson said the WikiLeaks founder told Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese he 'saved his life' when he landed in Australia.
• Ms Robinson and Ms Assange described Mr Assange's case as an attack on journalism which Ms Robinson added set a dangerous precedent for journalists across the world.
• Ms Assange said she hoped her husband would be pardoned and called on the press to unite against lawmakers as Ms Robinson said the Espionage Act needed reform.
• Asked if WikiLeaks will continue to publish leaked documents, Ms Assange said her husband will 'always defend human rights' and remains 'deeply principled'

Ms Assange has told the press conference she is hopeful her husband will be pardoned for his espionage conviction if the press unites against a precedent that led to her husband's prosecution.

She made the remarks after Jennifer Robinson said in time they would seek a pardon from the US President and that it was important to reform the Espionage Act.

Ms Assange said

I think that he will be pardoned if the press unite to push back against this precedent. Because it affects all of you. It affects your future ability to warn the public and to publish without fear.

The press conference has now ended.

Ms Assange has said she wants to allow her husband space to rediscover freedom following his incarceration.

Asking for privacy as a family, she told the press conference:

Julian needs time to recover. To get used to freedoms. Someone told me yesterday who had been through something similar, that freedom comes slowly. And I want Julian to have that space to rediscover freedom, slowly. And quickly.

She also told reporters her reaction to seeing her husband at the airfield in Canberra where they shared an emotional embrace.

We embraced and I mean, I think you’ve seen the pictures. I don’t want to express in words what is obvious from the image.

Ms Assange has reiterated the case against her husband is an 'attack on journalism' as she gave details of how he came to be released.

She told the press conference:

I think it’s important to recognise that Julian’s release and the breakthrough in the negotiations came at a time when there had been a breakthrough in the legal case in the UK, in the extradition, where the High Court had allowed permission to appeal.

There was a court date set for the 9th and 10th of July - an upcoming court date in which Julian would be able to raise the first amendment argument at the High Court. And it is in this context that things finally started to move.

I think that it revealed ... how uncomfortable United States government is, in fact, of having these arguments aired, because this case - the fact is that this case is an attack on journalism.

Julian Assange will not speak at the press conference, his wife Stella has confirmed, as he needs 'time and space' to recuperate following his legal ordeal

Appearing emotional at the press conference, Ms Assange said her husband wanted to thank people for their support as she praised Anthony Albanese, the opposition and the Australian people.

She adds Mr Assange should never have spent a single day in prison.

Julian wanted me to sincerely thank everyone. He wanted to be here. But you have to understand what he’s been through. He needs time. He needs to recuperate.

And this is a process. I ask you - please - to give us space, to give us privacy. To find our place.

To let our family be a family before he can speak again at a time of his choosing.

Ms Robinson has revealed that Julian Assange told Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese he had 'saved his life' when he landed back in Australia.

She told the press conference:

We are absolutely thrilled that Julian is now home in Australia.

I can say when we landed here in Australia, I became very emotional at the moment that we landed and the Prime Minister was the first person to get on the phone to speak to Julian.

Julian thanked him and the team and told the Prime Minister that he had saved his life. And I don’t think that that is an exaggeration.

Mr Assange's lawyer Jennifer Robinson is up first and described the journey from the UK to Australia which involved 12 hours in Stansted airport.

She described his conviction as the 'criminalisation of journalism' which sets a worrying precedent for journalists across the world.

Adds she felt 'emotional' when landing in Australia and describes Mr Assange's return as a 'huge win' for Australia and Australian democracy.

We now have a live stream for you to watch the WikiLeaks press conference in Canberra after Julian Assange's return to Australia.

See below:

A press conference hosted by WikiLeaks is just moments away from getting under way in Canberra.

If you're just joining us.

Here's a brief timeline of Julian Assange's legal battle which lasted 14 years and spanned the UK and US.

Mr Assange is now a free man following his return to Australia but has been banned from entering the US as a result of his espionage conviction.

Julian Assange supporters are gathering outside the East Hotel in Canberra ahead of a WikiLeaks press conference.

Some have arrived displaying #FreeAssange and Bring Him Home banners while others beeped car horns as they drove by.

It is not known if Mr Assange will address or attend the press conference.

Stella Assange has now shared the moment she and her husband embraced following his return to Australia.

Mr Assange's wife was busy on social media while her husband was travelling to Canberra and this was her first post after he landed.

Daily Mail Australia's Max Aitchison reports Julian Assange's wife has revealed that he wants to swim in the ocean every day and teach their children to catch crabs as he touched down in Australia as a free man.

The WikiLeaks founder brokered a plea deal with the United States which saw him convicted of espionage in return for his safe passage to his home country.

Read Max's report here:

Anthony Albanese has shared a photo of him speaking to Julian Assange moments after the WikiLeaks founder landed in Australia.

Mr Albanese tweeted:

As Prime Minister, I have been clear – regardless of what you think of his activities, Mr Assange’s case had dragged on for too long.

I have clearly and consistently – at every opportunity and at every level – advocated for Mr Assange’s case to be concluded.

This is the culmination of careful, patient and determined work.

It is another example of why mature, calibrated and consistent engagement is the best way to get results in Australia’s national interest.

MailOnline reporters Miriam Kuepper, Nic White and Perkin Amalaraj have the story on Mr Assange's return to Australia to bring the curtain down on an epic 14-year legal saga spanning the US and the UK.

Assange touched down in the country's capital Canberra at 7.37pm local time (10.37am London time, 5.37am New York time), where he was reunited with his wife Stella.

As he saw his wife Stella for the first time, Assange hugged and kissed her before wrapping her in a tight embrace and lifting her up in the air.

Read their report here:

Now that Mr Assange has returned to Australia, let's recap how he got there and everything that has happened earlier today.

Here are the key takeaways:

• Julian Assange arrived in Canberra after reaching a plea deal with US authorities to return to Australia as a free man
• Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was the first to speak to Mr Assange when he landed and said the WikiLeaks founder described his return as 'happy and surreal'
• Mr Assange flew by private jet to the Australian capital after he pleaded guilty to conspiring to obtain and disclose classified national defence documents in Saipan
• The conviction brings an end a 14-year legal saga that has seen Mr Assange holed up in a British high-security prison and London embassy while being pursued by US authorities
• Following his return, his wife Stella said she couldn't stop crying, her two sons were 'very excited' and that her husband wanted to swim in the ocean every day
• WikiLeaks have scheduled a press conference in Canberra in the next hour.

We will continue to provide coverage throughout the day.

Anthony Albanese has said Mr Assange described his return to Australia as 'happy and surreal' following a phone call with him as soon as he touched down in Canberra.

I was pleased to speak with him. Uh, immediately upon the wheels touching the ground. I was quite pleased to be the first person here who he spoke with, which was, uh, mutually worked out that would occur.

There was no purpose to be served by this ongoing incarceration. And can I say that when I spoke with Mr Assange tonight, he described it as a surreal and happy moment. He’s landing here in our national capital, Canberra.

He expressed his thanks to what he described as the diplomatic A-Team.

I’ve never met Mr Assange. I had a very warm discussion with him this evening, though he was very generous in his praise of the Australian government’s efforts. The Australian government stands up for Australian citizens. That’s what we do.

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has spoken following Mr Assange's return to the country.

He said:

Earlier tonight, I was pleased to speak with Mr Assange to welcome him home. And had the opportunity to ask about his health and to have my first discussion with him.

His safe returned to Australia we know, means so much to his family. His wife Stella, his children, who he is looking forward to playing with like any dad and his parents, Christine and John.

His arrival home, ends a long-running legal process, a plea agreement between Mr Assange and the United States states Department of Justice was accepted by a US court in Saipan earlier today.

I do want to express my appreciation to the United States and the United Kingdom for their efforts in making this possible.

We can now bring you the moment Julian Assange swept his wife Stella off her feet before planting a passionate kiss.

The WikiLeaks founder shared an emotional embrace with his partner and mother of his two sons in Canberra.

See the video below:

These pictures show the emotional return of Julian Assange to his native homeland in Australia following an epic 14-year legal battle over the disclosure of classified documents.

The WikiLeaks founder was treated to somewhat of a hero's reception when he stepped off the plane at a Canberra airfield around 15 minutes ago.

We will bring you more reaction as and when we get it.

Julian Assange hugged and kissed his wife Stella after disembarking the jet.

He waved to supporters, who applauded and cheered loudly, as Mr and Mrs Assange looked emotional.

Supporters of Julian Assange joined press from Australia and abroad at the perimeter of Canberra Airport as he landed, one holding a sign saying “Thanks Julian”.

Here is one of the first pictures of Julian Assange after he stepped off the plane at Canberra.

Mr Assange walked down the steps of the plane before he shook hands with crew memebrs and then hugged several people waiting for him at the Canberra airfield.

He was also seen waving to the crowd who applauded him with cheers on his return.

Mr Assange has just exited the plane and was was greeted with applause as supporters clapped and cheered his arrival

We can now bring you pictures of the moment Julian Assange's plane touched down at a military base in Canberra just moments ago.

WikiLeaks has celebrated the arrival of Mr Assange in a tweet seconds after his jet touched down.

The WikiLeaks founder's jet has now landed in Canberra following a flight from Saipan.

Watch the moment Julian Assange lands in Australia with our live stream below.

We will continue to bring you updates and reaction as the WikiLeaks founder returns to his native homeland following a 14-year legal saga.

Julian Assange's wife Stella said she 'can't stop crying' after a US judge released her husband without probation, with the WikiLeaks founder due to arrive in his native Australia.

His wife Stella shared a picture of the WikiLeaks founder walking out of court on X and wrote: 'Julian walks out of Saipan federal court a free man. I can't stop crying.'

Read Nic White and Perkin Amalaraj's report here:

Stella Assange has told Australian media her husband wants to swim in the ocean 'every day' when he returns to Australia.

Ms Assange said the couple had spoken about what activities they want to do as soon as he touches down in his homeland.

See her interview below:

Journalists have assembled at a Canberra military base where Julian Assange will touch down on his return to Australia.

His wife Stella will be among those to meet him at the airport.

Stella Assange, the wife of Julian, has described how her 'very excited' sons are jumping around 'like two little balls' with their father due to land in Australia in less than an hour.

Speaking on a live stream operated by the Assange campaign, she said she was 'elated, excited and exhausted' as she prepares to meet her husband at Canberra airport.

She says their two sons, aged five and seven, are 'very, very excited.'

She added:

I can't get my head around it. It's like I'm having an out of body experience.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is no hero and people may have died because of his actions, the former United States director of national intelligence has suggested.

James Clapper said Assange’s guilty plea to a felony charge is 'important to a lot of people'.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:

There is somewhat of a religious argument here between those who are proponents of transparency and those who are concerned about security. This is an endless argument. I understand what they are saying but I don’t think he is a hero.”

What he did was wrong and illegal and one of our federal grand juries saw fit to indict him on 18 charges, espionage-related charges. The concern that we have is the potential identity and compromise of assets, (the) Iraqis and Afghans who were helping us, as well as jeopardising sources and methods.

Asked if he thought there are people who are not alive today due to his behaviour, Mr Clapper said:

I imagine there are some people because they were identified as having helped us and they were doing that on a clandestine basis – when they were outed I can imagine that some of them may have lost their lives given the situation particularly in Afghanistan.

The political reaction in Australia to Julian Assange's case and return has been a mixed picture with some MPs celebrating his release, while others say he should not be worshipped.

Here's a flavour of the difference of opinion

James Paterson, a senator in Victoria who is the opposition spokesman for home affairs, told AAP

Julian Assange is no hero, but it is a welcome thing that this has finally come to an end.

The reason why it’s gone on for a long time is that he was evading lawful extradition requests. It is a credit to the United States that they are showing such leniency towards someone accused of such a serious crime.

This follows similar comments from his opposition colleague Jane Hume, who said Assange was “no hero” of hers but that she welcomed his return: We’re very pleased to see him returned to Australia, but I don’t think that hero-worship is an appropriate response.

WikiLeaks has released a picture of Julian Assange speaking to wife Stella as he prepares to land in Canberra.

The company has scheduled a press conference in the capital for 12.15pm UK time.

Julian Assange's brother has said he will campaign for the WikiLeaks founder to be pardoned after he was convicted of espionage in a US court.

The conviction means Mr Assange is banned from entering the US and would require special permission for visits

Gabriel Shipton told the BBC:

We're going to campaign now for a pardon for Julian

We're going to be asking President Biden for a pardon, so that this conviction can be taken off the books.

You know our allies in the Congress, Representative Jim McGovern has already tweeted out that this is a very very concerning precedent for people in the United States.

Jennifer Robinson, a human rights lawyer who has represented Mr Assange for more than a decade, shared a picture of herself and the Wikileaks founder to say she can't wait to touch down in Australia.

Ms Robinson also represented Amber Heard in Johnny Depp's 2020 libel case against The Sun.

Anthony Albanese, Australia's Prime Minister, has addressed his country's parliament following the outcome of the Julian Assange case.

He said:

Regardless of your views about his activities – and they will be varied – Mr Assange’s case has dragged on for too long. I have said repeatedly that there was nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration. I am pleased that he is on his way home to Australia to reunite with his family here.

Over the two years since we took office my government has engaged and advocated, including at leader level, to resolve this. We have used all appropriate channels [and] this outcome has been the product of careful, patient and determined work.

The Australian government continues to provide consular assistance to Mr Assange as he returns home.

WikiLeaks, the publisher of leaked documents founded by Mr Assange, has scheduled a press conference in Canberra tonight.

The company has not specified whether Mr Assange will speak at the event or even be in attendance but takes place around a couple of hours after his arrival into the country.

Earlier, Wikileaks shared an image of Mr Assange embracing his lawyer Jennifer Robinson, moments after his plea deal was finalised.

After he was released from court, Mr Assange left Saipan on a private jet to the Australian capital Canberra, where he is expected to land around 7:30pm (10.30am UK time), according to flight logs.

The island is about six hours away from Australia by plane and was chosen as a location for Mr Assange's hearing owing to its proximity to his homeland.

Speaking to Reuters news agency in Canberra, his father John Shipton said:

That Julian can come home to Australia and see his family regularly and do the ordinary things of life is a treasure. The beauty of the ordinary is the essence of life.

See this video explainer below:

We can also bring you footage of the moment Mr Assange's 14-year legal saga came to an end of the US island of Saipan.

See the video below:

Here are some of the most striking photographs following Mr Assange's release from court on the island of Saipan.

During a three-hour hearing in Saipan, Mr Assange pleaded guilty to one criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified national defence documents but said he had believed the US Constitution's First Amendment, which protects free speech, shielded his activities.

He told the court:

Working as a journalist I encouraged my source to provide information that was said to be classified in order to publish that information.

I believed the First Amendment protected that activity but I accept that it was... a violation of the espionage statute.

Chief US District Judge Ramona Manglona accepted his guilty plea, noting that the U.S. government indicated there was no personal victim from Assange's actions

The judge said:

You will be able to walk out of this courtroom a free man. I hope there will be some peace restored

Given the factual basis that accounts the whole saga of events that constitutes the basis for this very serious espionage charge against you…I am in fact sentencing you to a period of time served.

Firstly, let's recap what happened earlier as Mr Assange walked free from court after pleading guilty to a single espionage charge.

The WikiLeaks founder was released without probation or supervision after a hearing in a US federal court on the Pacific island of Saipan.

However, he is banned from entering the US ever again without permission from American authorities.

Read Nic White and Perkin Amalaraj's story here:

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Julian Assange's return to Australia following his release from a US federal court.

Mr Assange will arrive in his homeland 'a free man' after agreeing to a plea deal which has brought an end to his 14-year legal saga which has seen him incarcerated in a high-security prison and South American embassy in the UK.

The 52-year-old is expected to arrive in Canberra in the next hour and a press conference hosted by Wikileaks is taking place later on.

We will bring you all the latest updates on Mr Assange's return plus pictures, videos and the best reaction from social media.