WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, has been granted permission to marry his partner in prison.

The 50-year-old has been held in the UK’s Belmarsh maximum-security prison, in London, since 2019 after the US took legal action to extradite him.

He met his wife-to-be, Stella Moris, in 2011, while living in the Ecuadorean embassy in London and the pair have been engaged since 2017.

They have two children together, named Max, two, and Gabriel, four.

The Australian was arrested by police after spending five years in the embassy, where he had sought political asylum as he fought to avoid extradition to Sweden, fearing he would be taken to the US for questioning over the activities of WikiLeaks.

He was jailed for 12 months for skipping bail but was kept in Belmarsh while a lengthy legal case was mounted by the US.

In January, a judge refused a request from the US to extradite Mr Assange, but an appeal was lodged and the outcome is still pending.

Julian Assange: US begins High Court bid to overturn ban on extraditing WikiLeaks founder

Julian Assange: US allowed to continue appeal against decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder

Pamela Anderson says Donald Trump is ‘debating’ pardoning Julian Assange

No date has yet been set for the wedding.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “Mr Assange’s application was received, considered, and processed in the usual way by the prison governor, as for any other prisoner.”

Subscribe to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

The couple was taking legal action against the prison governor and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab, accusing them of preventing a wedding from being held.

In 2015, Britain’s first gay prison marriage was approved for two convicted murderers, Mikhail Gallatinov and Marc Goodwin.

The pair were wed at the maximum-security Full Sutton prison, near York.

Related posts:

Deaths in England were almost 30% higher last month than five-year average for January ‘Teachers know us better than an algorithm’: Students support exam grades decision ‘It didn’t hurt at all’: Queen urges people unsure about COVID jab to get vaccinated Animal rescue charity’s centres ‘at capacity’ due to lockdown puppies Roadmap on track: PM approves further easing of lockdown restrictions ‘Criminal gangs’ encouraging children into violence on Northern Ireland’s streets, say police Rail passengers told ‘not to travel’ on second day of disruption after cracks found on trains Newborn baby found dead in London canal Rail minister calls for ‘urgent plan’ from train operators as crack disruption continues Durham professor who called students ‘pathetic’ for staging walkout steps back from some duties ‘A beautiful day’: Extinction Rebellion trio cleared and Insulate Britain protesters released from jail Omicron ‘exit wave’ possible in the summer, scientists say