Julian Assange’s fiancee has spoken of her joy at being allowed to marry the WikiLeaks founder despite restrictions being placed on their wedding.
Stella Moris will marry the 50-year-old in Belmarsh Prison in south-east London on March 23, just weeks before the third anniversary of his dramatic arrest when he was dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy in the capital.
He has been held in the high-security jail ever since as he fights extradition to the United States, where he is wanted over an alleged conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information following WikiLeaks’ publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
Obviously we are very excited, even though the circumstances are very restrictive
He has always denied wrongdoing and has won support for his case from human rights organisations and journalist groups across the world.
Ms Moris told the PA news agency that just four guests and two witnesses will be allowed to attend the ceremony, as well as two security guards.
Dame Vivienne Westwood is designing Ms Moris’s wedding dress and a kilt for Assange, whose parents are of Scottish extraction.
The couple, who have two sons, are still waiting to hear if they will be allowed a photographer.
The guests will have to leave immediately after the event, even though it is being held during normal visiting hours.
Ms Moris told PA: “Obviously we are very excited, even though the circumstances are very restrictive.
“There continues to be unjustified interference in our plans. Having a photographer for an hour is not an unreasonable request.
“All the guests and witnesses must leave as soon as the ceremony is over, even though that will be before normal visiting time ends.
“Julian is looking forward to the wedding because it is finally happening, many months after we first made the request.”
Ms Moris, who spoke to Assange on Sunday, added: “He is being held on behalf of a foreign power and has not been charged with anything, which is completely disgraceful.”
