Wikileaks founder Julian Assange will request leave from prison to attend the funeral of his friend Dame Vivienne Westwood, according to the Australian’s wife. Dame Vivienne, known as the Godmother of Punk, died aged 81 on Thursday surrounded by her family in south London, prompting Mr Assange to search for a way to say goodbye despite being behind bars in London’s Belmarsh prison as he fights extradition to the US.
His wife Stella Assange told Australia’s Nine Media of the funeral: “Julian’s going to put in a request to be able to attend.”
Mr Assange and Dame Vivienne had been friends for more than a decade, with the designer a vocal supporter throughout his time in the Ecuadorian embassy and prison. She even dressed as a canary and suspended herself inside a giant birdcage outside The Old Bailey in July 2020 to protest his potential extradition.
