A moment many felt would never happenpublished at 10:55 British Summer Time 26 June
Katy Watson
Reporting from Canberra
This is a moment his family has been waiting for. And remember - many felt this was a moment that would never happen.
Summary
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has landed in Australia, after walking free from a US court
He hugged his wife and father at the airport as a small group of supporters cheered his arrival
He pleaded guilty to one charge in the court in the Northern Mariana Islands on Wednesday, bringing a years-long case to an end
Assange was pursued by US prosecutors for publishing secret military information, and feared a long sentence in a high-security US prison
Last week, he signed a deal with the US that would see him plead guilty to one charge, instead of the 18 he was originally facing
Assange left the UK on Monday after spending five years in prison fighting extradition to the US
A moment many felt would never happenpublished at 10:55 British Summer Time 26 June
'Touchdown! Free at last'published at 10:46 British Summer Time 26 June
Wikileaks has just posted this picture as the plane touched down, saying Assange was "free at last".
Image source, XAssange lands in Canberrapublished at 10:41 British Summer Time 26 June
BreakingThe plane carrying Julian Assange to Australia has landed in Canberra.
His family, including his wife Stella Assange and his father John Shipton, are already at the airport to meet him.
Image source, APPlane two minutes from landing in Canberrapublished at 10:36 British Summer Time 26 June
As a reminder, you can watch our coverage from Canberra live by pressing play at the top of the page.
Assange speaks to wife before reunionpublished at 10:32 British Summer Time 26 June
Earlier, Julian's wife Stella said she would meet her husband at the airport in Canberra.
As the plane began its descent, Wikileaks shared this picture of Julian Assange on the phone to his wife.
Image source, WikileaksAssange expects warm welcome in cold Canberrapublished at 10:12 British Summer Time 26 June
Katy Watson
Reporting from CanberraAs we wait for the plane to land, the cameras are being set up and reporters have started to gather on the grass by the military base where Julian Assange is expected to arrive.
It’s a cold winter’s night in Canberra – the media keeping warm with gloves and bobble hats, keen to witness the arrival of Assange and the end of 14-year legal battle that saw a final epic dash across the world via a small Pacific island.
Julian Assange’s wife Stella and his father John are being driven by the government to meet him.
From there, they will return to their hotel – it’s not clear whether he will speak but the prime minister and Wikileaks are both planning press conferences.
Image source, EPAImage caption, A media crew outside the airport in Canberra earlier
Assange lawyer posts picture from planepublished at 10:06 British Summer Time 26 June
Julian Assange's plane is just minutes away from touching down in Canberra.
Earlier, his lawyer Jen Robinson - who's travelling with him - posted this picture from the plane as it flew over eastern Australia.
"We did it," she posted. "14 years of legal battles and we are finally taking him home to Australia to be reunited with [his wife] and his kids - and giving him his life back."
Image source, Jen RobinsonMillions of people made this possible, says Stella Assangepublished at 09:50 British Summer Time 26 June
Here's more now from Stella Assange, Julian's wife, who is speaking to their campaign's YouTube channel.
She says the release of her husband was made possible by "millions of people around the world", who came together "to shift political environment in way that made it possible to free Julian".
She says Assange's supporters feel vindicated - and that "this victory is theirs".
Image source, EPAImage caption, Assange supporters in Naples, Italy, last night
Where is Assange now?published at 09:20 British Summer Time 26 June
As we've been reporting, Julian Assange is on a flight home to Australia after being freed by a US court in the Northern Mariana Islands.
His plane is now flying over eastern Australia, with less than an hour and a half to go to landing.
He is due to land in Canberra slightly later than planned, around 7:35 local time (10:34 BST).
Image source, Flightradar24Stella Assange: I'm elated, excited, exhaustedpublished at 09:07 British Summer Time 26 June
Image source, WikileaksJulian Assange's wife, Stella, is speaking to the Assange campaign's live stream on YouTube.
She says she's "elated, excited, exhausted", and is getting ready to meet her husband at the airport in Canberra.
She says the couple's two sons - aged five and seven - are "very, very excited" and are jumping around "like two little balls".
As for herself, she says she "hasn't slept for days...my energy comes and goes, the adrenaline comes and goes".
"I can't get my head around it," she says of her husband's release. "It's like I'm having an out of body experience."
'US acted like China in pursuing Assange' - lawyerpublished at 09:00 British Summer Time 26 June
A legal adviser to the Assange campaign, Greg Barns, has compared the US to China for its treatment of Julian Assange.
"His [Assange's] actions were revealing US war crimes and particularly in Iraq and that's exactly what we want our media to do," Barns tells the BBC's Newsday programme.
"In fact, ironically in Australia a few years ago, journalists won awards for revealing alleged war crimes committed by Australians in Afghanistan. So this was an injustice from day one.
It was a direct threat to freedom of expression and freedom of the press because the United States was using its domestic laws to go after someone who wasn't a US citizen and hadn't initiated the publication in the US.
"I mean this is the sort of legislation we criticise China for and here we were with our closest ally doing exactly the same."
Assange walks free: Four key quotespublished at 08:43 British Summer Time 26 June
Image source, ReutersImage caption, Julian Assange leaving the court in Saipan
Quote MessageYou will be able to walk out of this courtroom a free man"
Judge Ramona Manglona, speaking in the US district court in the Northern Mariana Islands
Quote MessageWorking as a journalist, I encouraged my source to provide material that was said to be classified"
Julian Assange, speaking in court
Quote MessageI've said repeatedly that there was nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and I am pleased that he is on his way home to Australia"
Anthony Albanese, Australian prime minister, in parliament
Quote MessageDoing cartwheels is a good expression of the joy that one feels"
John Shipton, Julian Assange's father
Assange's brother confirms pardon bidpublished at 08:00 British Summer Time 26 June
As we've reported, Julian Asange pleaded guilty to one charge in the US court in Saipan this morning.
Although he was allowed to walk free, that means he's a convicted criminal, and will need special permission to re-enter the US.
But Assange's brother, Gabriel Shipton, tells the BBC that they will seek a pardon from the US president.
"We're going to campaign now for a pardon for Julian," he says.
"We're going to be asking President Biden for a pardon, so that this conviction can be taken off the books.
"You know our allies in the Congress, Representative Jim McGovern has already tweeted out that this is a very very concerning precedent for people in the United States."
Yesterday, Assange's wife, Stella, also said the family would seek a pardon.
Image source, PA MediaImage caption, Gabriel Shipton, pictured in London last month
Assange not a hero, says ex-US intelligence chiefpublished at 07:53 British Summer Time 26 June
James Clapper - the former US director of national intelligence - has spoken to our colleagues on Radio 4's Today programme. He says Assange is "no hero".
"There is somewhat of a religious argument here between those who are proponents of transparency and those who are concerned about security," Clapper says.
"This is an endless argument. I understand what they are saying but I don't think he is a hero."
He adds: "What he did was wrong and illegal and one of our federal grand juries saw fit to indict him on 18 charges, espionage-related charges.
"The concern that we have is the potential identity and compromise of assets, Iraqis and Afghans who were helping us, as well as jeopardising sources and methods."
Image source, ReutersImage caption, James Clapper, pictured in 2013
Assange's return brings a 'difficult case to a close' - US ambassadorpublished at 07:20 British Summer Time 26 June
The US ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, has issued a statement about Assange's release.
"The return of Julian Assange to Australia brings this longstanding and difficult case to a close," it says.
"The United States is grateful to the government of Australia for their commitment and assistance throughout this process."
Wikileaks shares moment Assange embraced his lawyerpublished at 07:05 British Summer Time 26 June
Wikileaks has shared , externalan image of Assange embracing his lawyer Jennifer Robinson, moments after his plea deal was finalised. Former prime minister Kevin Rudd, who is currently the Australian ambassador to the US, can also be seen in the background.
Robinson, who is also Australian, has been a long-standing member of Assange's legal team and earlier described his release as an "historic day".
"Just a moment," the organisation wrote alongside the image, which it posted on X., external
Image source, WikiLeaksImage caption, Assange embraces his lawyer Jennifer Robinson
Assange due to land in Canberra slightly later than plannedpublished at 06:40 British Summer Time 26 June
Assange's arrival into Australia's capital has been pushed back, as it appears his flight departed slightly later than planned from Saipan.
Earlier we reported that he was expected to land in Canberra at 18:41 local time (08:41 GMT) - it looks like that will now be closer to 19:39 (09:39 GMT).
The journey from Saipan - a US territory in the Northern Mariana Islands - to Canberra is roughly six hours and 30 minutes. Assange has been in the air now for over two hours.
Image source, Flightradar24Image caption, Flight tracking site Flightradar24 shows that Assange's plane is now close to Papua New Guinea
Albanese: 'This is what standing up for Australians looks like'published at 06:20 British Summer Time 26 June
Now that Assange's plea deal has been signed off, Australia's Prime Minister has given his strongest comments yet about the Wikileaks founder's case, and the fight to free him.
"This is what standing up for Australians around the world looks like. It means getting the job done, getting results and getting outcomes," he said in a speech in the nation's parliament.
He added that the majority of Australians would be pleased that Assange was heading home, and that "this saga has been brought to an end".
Image source, EPAImage caption, Anthony Albanese earlier today
Wikileaks will hold a press conference in Canberrapublished at 06:07 British Summer Time 26 June
Wikileaks has announced that it plans to hold a press conference in Australia's capital, Canberra, at 21:15 (11:15 GMT; 12:15 BST) this evening.
The organisation said it would take place at a four star hotel, located in the heart of the city.
It's unclear if Assange is planning to appear or speak - but we'll bring you the latest as we have it.
'Who did he murder to spend 23 hours a day in solitary confinement?'published at 05:51 British Summer Time 26 June
Barnaby Joyce, a former deputy prime minister of Australia who lobbied in Washington for Assange, tells BBC's Newsday he believes the extraterritorial aspect of Assange's case is worrying.
"He was not a citizen of the United States, nor was he ever in the United States. So we've sent a person to prison in a third country," said Joyce.
"I don't believe what he did was right. I'm not here to give a warrant to his character. But I do say is what he did in Australia was not illegal... there is no law he broke in Australia."
He also criticised the treatment the Wikileaks founder received while at Belmarsh prison in the UK.
"One day we'll look back at this case and everyone will wonder: honestly, who did he murder to be in solitary confinement 23 hours a day? What was the charge that inspired that?"
Image source, EPA