Autistic Reflections On The Release Of Julian Assange
He was judged not just by the legal system but by neurotypical norms
I have at least three things in common with Julian Assange: We are both Australian, born in 1971 and Autistic.
So it’s not surprising that along with many others, I’ve been following the media coverage since he first came to prominence 14 years ago for publishing secret US government files on the WikiLeaks platform. But it’s only on his return to Australia this week and on listening to the passionately delivered words of his wife Stella and lawyer Jennifer Robinson that I’ve dived deeper into the story.
There’s been no shortage of backstory — in 2011 the telemovie Underground, based on the book of the same name co-authored by Assange, portrayed his teenage years immersed in the computer hacking community.
But as far as I can tell, there’s been surprisingly little exploration of how being Autistic has shaped Assange and his life.
Julian Assange’s autism diagnosis became public knowledge during UK proceedings in 2021 seeking to extradite him to the US. His defence was focused not on the motives for his actions but on the impact extradition would have on his mental and physical wellbeing. Being Autistic heightened the risk of suicide, the…
