02:16Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the release of WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange from UK prison after securing a US plea deal, stating Australia 'wants him brought home', during a parliament meeting in Canberra on Tuesday.
"Regardless of the views that people have about Mr. Assange's activities, the case has dragged on for too long. There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia," the prime minister stated.
"We have engaged and advocated Australia's interest using all appropriate channels to support a positive outcome and I have done that since very early on in my prime-ministership. I will have more to say when these legal proceedings have concluded," he continued.
According to WikiLeaks, Assange left Belmarsh prison on Monday evening after reaching a plea deal with the US, boarding a plane at London's Stansted Airport.
He will attend a hearing in Saipan - the largest of the Northern Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth - on Wednesday morning, reportedly due to its proximity to Australia and his own opposition to travelling to the United States.
Assange is expected to plead guilty to one count of conspiring to obtain and disclose US national defence documents, with the sentence to reflect time served in Belmarsh - and return to home to Australia.
The WikiLeaks founder has been detained in London since 2019, and fought a long-running extradition battle with the US over 18 charges related to the release of classified documents involving the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
He was initially granted political asylum by Ecuador in the British capital in 2012 but was dragged from the embassy by UK police seven years later.
'Case has dragged on for too long' - Albanese welcomes Assange's release, states Australia 'wants him brought home'
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the release of WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange from UK prison after securing a US plea deal, stating Australia 'wants him brought home', during a parliament meeting in Canberra on Tuesday.
"Regardless of the views that people have about Mr. Assange's activities, the case has dragged on for too long. There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia," the prime minister stated.
"We have engaged and advocated Australia's interest using all appropriate channels to support a positive outcome and I have done that since very early on in my prime-ministership. I will have more to say when these legal proceedings have concluded," he continued.
According to WikiLeaks, Assange left Belmarsh prison on Monday evening after reaching a plea deal with the US, boarding a plane at London's Stansted Airport.
He will attend a hearing in Saipan - the largest of the Northern Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth - on Wednesday morning, reportedly due to its proximity to Australia and his own opposition to travelling to the United States.
Assange is expected to plead guilty to one count of conspiring to obtain and disclose US national defence documents, with the sentence to reflect time served in Belmarsh - and return to home to Australia.
The WikiLeaks founder has been detained in London since 2019, and fought a long-running extradition battle with the US over 18 charges related to the release of classified documents involving the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
He was initially granted political asylum by Ecuador in the British capital in 2012 but was dragged from the embassy by UK police seven years later.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the release of WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange from UK prison after securing a US plea deal, stating Australia 'wants him brought home', during a parliament meeting in Canberra on Tuesday.
"Regardless of the views that people have about Mr. Assange's activities, the case has dragged on for too long. There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia," the prime minister stated.
"We have engaged and advocated Australia's interest using all appropriate channels to support a positive outcome and I have done that since very early on in my prime-ministership. I will have more to say when these legal proceedings have concluded," he continued.
According to WikiLeaks, Assange left Belmarsh prison on Monday evening after reaching a plea deal with the US, boarding a plane at London's Stansted Airport.
He will attend a hearing in Saipan - the largest of the Northern Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth - on Wednesday morning, reportedly due to its proximity to Australia and his own opposition to travelling to the United States.
Assange is expected to plead guilty to one count of conspiring to obtain and disclose US national defence documents, with the sentence to reflect time served in Belmarsh - and return to home to Australia.
The WikiLeaks founder has been detained in London since 2019, and fought a long-running extradition battle with the US over 18 charges related to the release of classified documents involving the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
He was initially granted political asylum by Ecuador in the British capital in 2012 but was dragged from the embassy by UK police seven years later.