Julian Assange made a rare public appearance at the Cannes Film Festival this week, wearing a T-shirt listing the names of 4,986 Palestinian children reportedly killed since the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted in 2023, in what marked his first major outing since his release from a British prison last year. The WikiLeaks founder was in France to promote The Six Billion Dollar Man, a documentary chronicling his prolonged legal battle and WikiLeaks' impact on global politics.
The official WikiLeaks X account shared footage of Assange at Cannes, noting, "Julian Assange wore a Stop Israel T-shirt. Stella Assange wore a large message saying 'Stop Killing'. Two messages. One demand: end the violence."
Assange, 53, was joined on the red carpet by his wife Stella Assange, WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson, campaigner Joseph Farrell, filmmaker Eugene Jarecki, and legal adviser Jennifer Robinson. Also in attendance was former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, a longtime supporter.
Julian Assange wore a Stop Israel T-shirt. Stella Assange wore a large message saying "Stop Killing". Two messages. One demand: end the violence. pic.twitter.com/DrxYDU2nBq — WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) May 21, 2025
The documentary, directed by Emmy and Sundance-winning filmmaker Eugene Jarecki, presents Assange's story in the style of an international thriller and uses archive material, WikiLeaks footage, and previously unpublished evidence. "The Six Billion Dollar Man" traces Assange's release from Belmarsh Prison and what WikiLeaks describes as "the human cost of exposing the truth."
"He was in a very grave situation in the prison. He's recovering from that," Stella Assange told Reuters. "But now he's coming to understand how grave the situation outside [prison] is and thinking, making plans to find the means of what to do about it."
Julian Assange was released in June after agreeing to a plea deal with U.S. authorities, under which he admitted to one count of illegally obtaining and disclosing national security information. He had previously spent seven years in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London seeking asylum, and five more in a British prison fighting extradition.
While Assange has not made public remarks at the festival, his lawyer, Jennifer Robinson, said the film is a vital record. "This film is absolutely necessary in terms of telling the story of free speech and what Julian Assange, his case means for the world, not just for him, but for the world," she said.
Assange, who returned to Australia last year, was released from a British prison after entering a plea agreement with U.S. prosecutors in which he admitted to one count of illegally obtaining and disclosing national security materials. His imprisonment followed seven years inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he sought asylum to avoid extradition.
