Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, married his longtime girlfriend Stella Morris inside a high-security prison in Southeast London on Wednesday, in a small ceremony attended by four guests, in addition to two official witnesses and two security guards. Assange is wanted by U.S. authorities for trial on 18 charges related to WikiLeaks' disclosure of vast amounts of classified U.S. military records and diplomatic cables. The 50-year-old man, who denies any wrongdoing, has been held in Belmarsh Prison since 2019, after taking refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for seven years.
During his stay at the Ecuadorian embassy, Assange fathered two children with Morris, a lawyer more than a decade his junior, whom he met in 2011 when she began working as part of his legal team. Their relationship began in 2015. The ceremony will take place during visiting hours at the prison, which has housed some of Britain's most notorious criminals, including child killer Ian Huntley. Morris's wedding dress and the Scottish kilt that Assange will wear, in reference to his family's ties to Scotland, are designed by British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, who has previously campaigned against his extradition.
This month, Assange's request for permission to appeal to the UK Supreme Court against the decision to extradite him to the United States was denied. However, he can still appeal any decision made by the government to approve his extradition.
