‘Jen’s an amazing woman with what she’s achieved in her short life’
Trainer Robinson pays tribute to his daughter who led Assange’s fight for freedom
Group-winning New South Wales horse trainer Terry Robinson was an immensely proud father on Thursday after his daughter’s 14-year legal fight on behalf of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange came to an end.
Robinson, the father of six children including renowned human rights lawyer Jen, revealed he’d spoken to his high-profile daughter and Assange just minutes before the pair touched down in Canberra on Wednesday evening.
Assange reached a plea deal with the US, allowing him to return to Australia as a free man and he was reunited with his wife Stella and father John Shipton in Australia’s capital.
Terry Robinson described the past week’s events as “unbelievable”.
“It’s been a lot of work behind the scenes and Jen’s been on this case for 14 years when he first ran into a problem, so she’s been there the whole way,” Robinson told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“I think [Australian Prime Minister] Anthony Albanese’s had a lot to do with it as well, and Jen’s a good mate of his, and they’ve really pressed for this to come to where it is now, which is great.”
On Tuesday, in a Saipan courtroom, located in the US territory of Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific, Assange pleaded guilty to unlawfully obtaining and disseminating classified US national defence information with Robinson by his side.
“Jen’s an amazing woman with what she’s achieved in her short life [so far]. It’s sensational. She’s very proud of this,” the NSW South Coast-based trainer said.
“I rang my daughter just before she landed [in Canberra]. I FaceTimed her, but I didn’t think I’d get her, to be honest.
“I gave her a call anyway and it was when they were about to land. Julian said hello. It was nice to catch up with Jen and say g’day.
“They were very excited to be home and looking forward to what happens in the future for him.”
Assange, who had effectively been captive since 2010, had also been pursued by Swedish authorities into rape allegations, which were later dropped in 2019. He sought asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2012 until he was detained by Metropolitan Police in April 2019 and sentenced to 50 weeks in Belmarsh prison for breaching bail.
A series of court appearances and appeals followed over the next five years until he signed a plea agreement with the US on June 19 and was released to fly to the US territory in the Pacific on Monday.
Jen Robinson, who acted pro bono throughout the more than a decade-long case, and Assange’s wife Stella were busy completing early morning media commitments, appearing on breakfast television on Thursday.
The trainer of 2007 Carlton Draught Stakes (Gr 3, 2600m) winner Danebar (Danehill Dancer) at Morphettville and 2021 Kosciuszko (1200m) winner and recently retired $1.55 million earner Art Cadeau (Artie Schiller), the Shoalhaven Heads-based Robinson said his daughter Jen never gave up hope that a resolution could be reached that would free Assange, the man who founded WikiLeaks in 2006.
“Jen is very passionate and when she thinks something is wrong, she’ll keep going until hopefully she gets an answer,” Terry said.
“I can’t believe all the hurdles they have had to overcome. She just kept going, she just kept thinking that it was [an injustice] and she wanted to keep going until they got a result and thank god they have.”
Jen Robinson’s achievements as a human rights lawyer, including the Assange case, were featured in an ABC Australian Story documentary, which aired in March 2021.
“She’s come a long way and she’d already achieved a heap at that stage [when the documentary was filmed],” Terry said.
“She just keeps getting better and finding more high-profile cases that need working on, especially around human rights. That’s her passion and always has been.
“Obviously other things come into it now. She’s writing books at the moment, she’s just started her second book, so that’ll be interesting.
“She’d actually make a very good journalist, Jen. She’s a very good writer and she expresses herself extremely well as you can see in the number of interviews.”
Jen’s brother Dane is Australian auction house Magic Millions’ bloodstock manager.
“They all get on so well. I can’t believe the four older kids [from my first marriage] are the best of mates,” Terry said.
“My second daughter Ash and her husband have got a business in Sydney called Healthfix, Simon’s a financial planner and they’ve all done well.
“They’re extremely close and I am very proud of all of them.”