WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has landed back in Australia after securing his freedom, and so begins the inevitable search for a place to live in his home country. Having spent the past five years in the UK’s maximum security Belmarsh Prison, and a further seven years before that holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London facing espionage charges, he landed back in Australia last night after securing his freedom through a plea deal. According to his wife Stella Assange, he plans to take full advantage of his newfound freedom by enjoying Australia’s world-renowned coastline on a daily basis.
Julian Assange has returned to Australia following a plea deal to secure his freedom after more than a decade in confinement. Picture: Getty “Julian plans to swim in the ocean every day, he plans to sleep in a real bed, he plans to taste real food, and he plans to enjoy freedom,” Ms Assange told the media after his release was secured. Teaching his two children, Gabriel (four) and Max (two), how to catch crabs is also on his to-do list, Ms Assange said.
Mr Assange’s house-hunting brief would most likely be similar to many Australian buyers searching for a home. With a young family of four, he’ll likely need at least four bedrooms, and ideally a home office too. Having endured very cramped accommodation for more than a decade, including a 2m x 3m prison cell and a small office converted into a bedroom in the Ecuadorian embassy, it’s safe to assume a freestanding house wit.
