London, May 16, AZERTAC

“I will follow him wherever he goes. His safety is the most important thing,” said Stella Assange, the wife of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, residing in London, at a press conference for foreign journalists in London ahead of Julian Assange's court hearing on May 20.

“The Australian government's decision to support Julian's freedom has been crucial. Up until now, the Albanese government and the Australian administration were complicit in abandoning Julian, facilitating the US persecution. Now, it's not just the Albanese government but also the leader of the opposition and the rest of the parliament—two-thirds of the parliament—who are calling for Julian to be freed. They are backing Julian's release. That is incredible because, without the backing of your government, if you are a political prisoner, you have no chance of release. I will follow Julian wherever he goes, wherever he is safe. Julian misses Australia, and we are very keen to travel there with the kids and show them his home country. I have only been there once. I will follow him wherever he goes. His safety is the most important thing.

I just came from visiting him. I came straight from Belmarsh, where I was with Fidel Narváez, Julian's friend who was the consul of Ecuador for many years. Julian is under enormous pressure, especially with the 20th fast approaching. He's having trouble sleeping and is in constant communication with lawyers.

I think it's a matter of common record that Julian's mental health is an extreme concern. His survival is at stake. It is important to understand that he is under immense pressure.

Julian is one decision away from being extradited. If judges rule against him on Monday, there will be no further avenues for appeal in the UK. The timing is uncertain, but we know that in other national security extradition cases, the person has been extradited within 24 hours of the decision.

I don’t expect a rational outcome from the court. Do I hold some hope that they will do the right thing and Julian will win in the end? Of course, I have to. I have to have some faith that it can happen, and I hope it will. But I've observed what has happened over the past five years,” she emphasized.

Ayten Abbasli

Special correspondent