Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, married long-term lover Stella Moris on Wednesday in a modest ceremony witnessed by just four guests, two official witnesses, and two guards.
Assange is being kept in custody as US officials seek his extradition to stand trial on 18 charges stemming from WikiLeaks’ 2010 revelation of massive troves of classified US military and diplomatic communications.
“I am both happy and sad. I adore Julian and wish he were here “Moris said after the ceremony outside the Belmarsh prison gates.
The 50-year-old Australian, who maintains his innocence, has been imprisoned in southeast London since 2019, after spending seven years at the Ecuadorean Embassy in the British capital.
He fathered two children while living in the embassy with Moris, a lawyer more than a decade his younger whom he met in 2011 when she began working on his legal team. They started dating in 2015.
The registrar-led ceremony occurred during visiting hours at the jail, which has housed some of the country’s most infamous inmates, including child killer Ian Huntley. Following that, guests were ordered to vacate the premises immediately.
Moris donned a lilac satin wedding gown, while Assange wore a kilt, both designed by British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, who has fought against his extradition.
The wedding gown was embroidered with Westwood’s personal message, and the lengthy veil was stitched with the phrases “valiant”, “relentless”, and “free everlasting love”.
“Julian is a noble spirit and a freedom warrior in my opinion,” Westwood said.
Moris cut a wedding cake outside the prison and addressed a crowd of fans who had assembled for the event.
“You are aware that what we are experiencing is brutal and horrible,” she said. “The love we have for one another sustains us in this and any future situations. He is the most incredible individual on the planet. He is magnificent, and he deserves to be free.”
Assange was dealt a setback earlier this month when he was refused permission to appeal to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom against a decision to extradite him. He might, however, appeal the government’s approval of the extradition.