Julian Assange has been given permission to marry his partner Stella Moris in prison.

The WikiLeaks founder has been held in Belmarsh Prison in London since 2019 after the United States took legal action to extradite him.

The couple, who met when Assange was living in the Ecuadorean embassy in London, have two children.

Ms Moris told the PA news agency: “I am relieved that reason prevailed and I hope there will be no further interference with our marriage.”

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.”

Mr Assange, an Australian citizen, was arrested by police after spending five years in the Ecuadorian 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 the US’s request to extradite Mr Assange, but an appeal was lodged, with the outcome still pending.

No date has been set for the wedding.

The couple have been engaged for a number of years and have been trying to get married despite the legal action.

Their sons Gabriel, four, and Max, two, are British citizens.

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