The plane carrying Sean Turnell has landed in Melbourne, bringing the Australian economist back home after he endured 650 days behind bars in Myanmar.
The former adviser to deposed leader Aung Sun Suu Kyi was flown to Bangkok last night before boarding a flight to Melbourne early this morning.
He was seized shortly after Myanmar's military coup on February 1 last year and sentenced to three years in jail this September for "violating the country's official State Secrets Act".
However, on Thursday, the junta announced Professor Turnell and three other foreigners would be released as an expression of "goodwill between countries" and as part of a broader mass amnesty for prisoners.
Professor Turnell has not yet spoken to the media, and his family have asked for privacy.
'Overwhelmed with joy'
However, his wife, Ha Vu, released a statement early this morning saying she was "overwhelmed with joy" that her "beloved husband" was back home.
"After nearly 22 months apart, our priority right now is to spend time together as a family," she said.
She also heaped praise on the Australian diplomats who had been working to secure his release.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have strongly advocated for and assisted to secure his release," she said.
"I specially thank the Australian government, in particular DFAT, the foreign minister and her office, the embassy in Yangon for their persistent efforts and support."
Dr Vu, had repeatedly called for his release, saying she feared he could become infected with COVID-19 in Insein Prison.
Family and friends in Sydney had also pushed him to be released on compassionate grounds.
In a statement to the ABC marking the "unwanted anniversary" of her husband's detention in February this year, Dr Vu described her husband as a warm-hearted person who was innocent of the charges.
She said his work was dedicated to improving the lives of people in Myanmar.
"It has been a year, and in our wildest dream or imagination, we never ever thought we would face this kind of challenge," she wrote at the time.
Albanese says Turnell in 'very good spirits'
Professor Turnell spoke with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after landing in Bangkok on Thursday night.
"He's not a large man, for those of you have seen photos of him, and clearly he has lost lost weight," Mr Albanese said.
"But he was in very good spirits, it must be said, but he's been checked over.
"We need to make sure after 650 days — and he was clearly counting them, he said to me this is day 650 — that can have a physical toll, but it can have other health tolls as well.
"We need to bear that in mind, and we need to give him the space to recover."
