WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was released from Belmarsh Prison on Monday after spending 1,901 days in it. Assange had been granted bail by the British High Court and was released at Stansted Airport in the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed from the United Kingdom. “This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grassroots organizers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum — all the way to the United Nations,” tweeted WikiLeaks on Monday. “This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalized.”.After more than two years in a jail cell isolated 23 hours per day, WikiLeaks confirmed he would soon reunite with his wife Stella and their children.WikiLeaks published stories about government corruption and human rights abuses, holding powerful people accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, it said Julian “paid severely for these principles and for the people’s right to know.”As he returns to Australia, it thanked the people who stood by it, fought for it, and remained committed in the fight for his freedom. “Julian's freedom is our freedom,” it said. British judges said in February they can keep Julian from the American legal wolves eager for their prey.READ MORE: HARDING: Keep Assange from the American wolvesHe had aired plenty of American dirty laundry, and the United States wanted him in its hands. US lawyers requested the British High Court turn him over. Since 2006, it has published more than 10 million documents, including many confidential or restricted ones related to war, spying, and corruption.
