Watch: Julian Assange hugs wife and father as he returns home after 14 years

Assange hugged his wife Stella after getting down from the private jet, embraced his father and walked through the tarmac amid the applause from his supporters.

JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE!!

Watch here: https://t.co/7PlI9fnSMG#AssangeFreed #JournalismIsNotACrime pic.twitter.com/Kpbh63CCCB

— Free Assange – #FreeAssange (@FreeAssangeNews) June 26, 2024

Assange pleaded guilty to one criminal count of US espionage law, wherein he was accused of conspiring and obtaining US national defence documents that were classified.

Assange stated in the court on the US Pacific island territory of Saipan that he was under the impression that his activities were shielded by the US Constitution’s First Amendment.

Assange narrated to the court that “Working as a journalist I encouraged my source to provide information that was said to be classified in order to publish that information,” as reported by Reuters.

Assange battled the legal challenges since coming out with documents exposing US involvement in the potential crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The US administration viewed the release of the classified documents as a violation of espionage law and the authorities also accused Assange that the documents release could have had a ripple effect on the lives of a lot of people as it posed a threat to them.

Chief US District Judge Ramona V. Manglona released Assange after accepting his plea as he had already served a part of his sentence in British jail.

Assange was in a high security prison in Britain for five years, whereas he served seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London while contesting sex crimes in Sweden and US extradition.