Julian Assange’s girlfriend has indicated that she plans to marry him in prison, while he is fighting extradition to America on espionage allegations.
As his supporters today marked 1,000 days since he was first imprisoned, Mr Assange’s partner Stella Moris said she was working on tying the knot in the ‘difficult setting’ behind bars at HMP Belmarsh.
According to The Mirror: “It is something we had been wanting to make and in the best circumstances. We don’t know when and if it will happen so we would like to marry.”
It comes at a difficult time for the publisher and activist, who was revealed to have had a stroke in October at the time of a High Court appearance – and has also lost the latest round in his extradition battle.
Julian Assange’s fiancee South African-born lawyer Stella Morris (pictured together) has said she hopes to marry the Wikileaks founder in prison this year – as he continues to fight his extradition to the US on espionage charge
South African born lawyer Ms. Moris started a relationship in 2015 with Mr Assange, while he was applying for asylum in London’s Ecuadorian Embassy. The couple got married in 2017, and they had two children. Pictured are Mr Assange’s two children, Max and Gabriel with Ms Moris
He is wanted in the US for publishing classified military intelligence information, charges that could land him a 175-year jail sentence. Because he was deemed to be a flight risk, he continues to serve his sentence in prison.
In a statement, Ms Moris (38) said: “It will be 1000 days this Wednesday that Julian Assange spent in the most severe prison in the UK.
“His children aged two and four years old have no memories of their father in any other prison than the UK’s most high security.”
South African-born Ms Moris began dating Mr Assange while he sought asylum at the Ecuadorian Embassy, London, in 2015. The couple got married in 2017 and they had their first child together.
Wikileaks’ founder wants to be extradited from Belmarsh Prison, where he is being held since 2019.
After registering their intention to get married in November, the couple accused Belmarsh Prison’s Governor and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab with conspiring against the marriage.
Ms. Moris has been the face of the campaign for Mr Assange’s freedom. She said that she believed she would never enter a prison, but she now believes it’s the best way to marry without him being charged.
However, it has proved difficult to plan, as officials from prison are yet to offer guidance regarding a ceremony, or whether cake and guests will be permitted.
She said, “I’m looking at dresses. I haven’t yet picked one.” It’s a bit tricky given the circumstances, but it is possible. However, we do not know the exact parameters of the jail. [so]If we’ll be permitted to have a cake or a photographer, and how many people will it be.
Ms Moris added that while she could now see her fiancee on a weekly basis, ‘we don’t really have much time to ourselves as a couple I mean, that’s an understatement!’.
“He’s a great father and husband. He’s the man with whom I would like to spend my entire time.
Ms. Moris is now the face of the fight to free Mr Assange. Initially, she said she believed she’d never go inside a prison but has since accepted that it is the only way she can get married to him without the charges being dropped. Pictured: Ms Moris outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London on December 10, 2021
Assange can be seen looking out from the Ecuadorian Embassy at London, in this photograph taken in 2016.
Before Mr Assange was accused of stealing, Two different Swedish women were raped by him in 2010, which led to his extradition.
The charges were always denied by him and have been dropped since then by Swedish prosecutors.
But he’s not US authorities continue to pursue espionage allegations against them, and there are ongoing appeals against their extradition.
On Wednesday, campaigners for his release will hold events to commemorate the 1000 days that he was in prison.
As the United States continue to try to extradite him, his supporters will be gathered outside Belmarsh Prison.
In her renewed call for his release, Ms Moris added that as long as he remains in prison, Mr Assange will be a political prisoner, and his ‘indefinite incarceration’ will kill him unless it is brought to an end.
She continued: “During those 1000 days Julian has been kept in extraordinary isolation for a part of it, faced two Covid shut downs, and suffered a stress-inducedstroke in October during his last hearing.
His lawyers have made complaints about their clients’ limited access, which has hampered his defense. His request to appear at his own hearings has been rejected. When he was allowed to, his requests for a seat next to his lawyers were also denied.