25 september 2024 : WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is scheduled to make his first public appearance since being released from a British jail when he provides testimony to the Council of Europe next month, according to his organization on Wednesday.
Assange, 53, returned to Australia in June after reaching a deal that required him to plead guilty to violating U.S. espionage laws, thereby concluding a 14-year legal battle in the UK.
His wife, Stella, whom he married while he was incarcerated in a high-security London facility, noted that he would need time to recover his health and mental well-being after such a long imprisonment, as well as to spend time with their two children, whom he has never seen outside of prison.
He will deliver his first public address when he testifies before the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg on October 1.
This appearance follows a PACE report that deemed him a political prisoner and called for an inquiry into whether he was subjected to inhumane treatment.
Stella Assange commented on X, saying, “It will be an exceptional break from his recovery as the Council of Europe has invited Julian to provide testimony for the Committee’s report on his case and its broader implications.”
