Supporters and family members, including his father, John Shipton, and wife, Stella Assange, gathered in Canberra to welcome him

• Follow live: WikiLeaks founder lands in Australia

Julian Assange needs time to recover after his 14-year legal saga, his wife, Stella, said, following his arrival back in Australia on Wednesday night.

The WikiLeaks founder touched down in the Australian capital of Canberra just after 7.30pm on Wednesday, before walking across the tarmac to embrace his wife, Stella Assange. Supporters who had braved the cold could be heard applauding as he arrived, with some cheering “we love you Julian” and “welcome home”.

WikiLeaks founder’s release was culmination of years of behind-the-scenes diplomatic lobbying, which got a big boost when Albanese took office

• Follow live: WikiLeaks founder heads to Australia
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Standing outside a US court on the island of Saipan in the western Pacific Ocean, lawyer Jennifer Robinson hailed the “historic” plea deal to secure the freedom of fellow Australian citizen Julian Assange.

After denouncing the case against the WikiLeaks founder as “the greatest threat to the first amendment in the 21st century”, Robinson gave a shoutout to the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, “for his statesmanship, his principled leadership and his diplomacy”. It was those outstanding qualities, she said, “which made this outcome possible”.