Julian Assange’s journey to freedom

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has returned home to Australia as a free man after more than a decade fighting extradition to the United States on espionage charges


UK 
1 
Stansted Airport
ATLANTIC OCEAN
THAILAND
Bangkok
2
INDIAN OCEAN
3 
Northern Mariana Islands (U.S.) 
Saipan
PACIFIC OCEAN
AUSTRALIA
Canberra
4


Jun 24: Assange granted bail by High Court in London and released from prison following plea deal with U.S. authorities

1 Leaves UK, reportedly paying $520,000 for chartered flight to island of Saipan – chosen to avoid travelling to U.S. mainland and for its proximity to Australia

2 Jun 25: Assange’s plane lands in Bangkok for refuelling

3 Jun 26: Arrives at Saipan in U.S. territory of Northern Mariana Islands

Pleads guilty at U.S. court to single criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified U.S. national defence documents

According to plea deal, Assange receives 62-month sentence – time he already served in London’s high-security Belmarsh prison. Sentence means he is free to return to Australia

4 Jun 26, 7.37pm local time: After 14-year legal saga, Assange is welcomed by cheering supporters at Canberra airport (above)


Sources: BBC, NBC News, Reuters
Picture: Getty Images 
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