Secret Talks In US Led To Julian Assange Deal, Says Australia PM

Anthony Albanese said he had never met with Julian Assange but spoke with him the moment his jet touched down in Canberra.

Australia's Prime Minister said Wednesday a string of recent non-disclosed missions to the United States helped to forge the plea deal that freed Julian Assange.

The 52-year-old WikiLeaks founder landed in Canberra hours earlier, after earning his liberty by pleading guilty to a single count of conspiracy to obtain and disseminate US national defence information.

He was sentenced by a court in the US Pacific territory of Northern Mariana Islands to time already served in London's high-security Belmarsh prison -- five years and two months -- and allowed to walk free.