Julian Assange Speaks in Public for First Time Since Release
Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, made his first public remarks since his release from prison on Tuesday, October 1, 2024. Speaking before the legal affairs and human rights committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, Assange addressed the protracted legal battle that had defined his life for over a decade.
“I am not free today because the system worked,” Assange told lawmakers from 46 countries. “I am free today after years of incarceration because I pled guilty to journalism.” He added: “I pled guilty to seeking information from a source. I pled guilty to obtaining information from a source. And I pled guilty to informing the public what that information was.”
Assange described the transition from confinement in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to British prison and now addressing the council as a “profound and surreal shift.” He emphasized that the last few years had been a “relentless struggle to stay alive, both physically and mentally.”
Assange’s address focused heavily on the theme of freedom of speech, criticizing the United States and its allies for their handling of his case. He stated that legal protections “only existed on paper” and that he eventually chose freedom over unrealizable justice after being detained for years with no effective remedy.
PACE will debate and vote on a draft resolution following on from Tuesday’s evidence. Assange’s wife, Stella, mentioned that he required time to recover before making public statements and that he has been enjoying family time since his release.
