Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, will marry Stella Moris, his long-term partner, in a high-security prison in southeast London.
Four guests, two official witnesses, and two security guards were present for the small ceremony. Assange is being held in custody while US authorities seek his extradition to stand trial on 18 counts related to WikiLeaks’ release of massive troves of classified US military and diplomatic records over a decade ago.
The 50-year-old Australian has been in Belmarsh prison since 2019 and was previously imprisoned for seven years in the Ecuadorean embassy in London.
He fathered two children while working at the embassy with Moris, a lawyer more than a decade his junior whom he met in 2011 when she began working on his legal team. In 2015, they started dating each other.
The registrar will lead the ceremony during visiting hours at the prison, which has housed some of Britain’s most notorious criminals, including child murderer Ian Huntley. On security grounds, the prison has denied the presence of journalists or photographers as witnesses.
In an article, Moris wrote, “I am convinced that they fear that Julian will be seen as a human being.” “This is a person, not a name.” Their fear reveals that they want Julian to be completely hidden from the public eye, even on his wedding day, and especially on his wedding day.”
She described the “love of her life” as wonderful, intelligent, and funny, and said she was marrying him. Vivienne Westwood, a British fashion designer who has previously campaigned against Assange’s extradition, designed Moris’ wedding gown and Assange’s kilt, which is a nod to his family’s Scottish ties.
Earlier this month, Assange was denied permission to appeal a decision to extradite him to the United Kingdom’s Supreme Court. He could still file a legal challenge to the extradition if the government approves it.
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