Julian Assange Makes Silent Statement at Cannes, Wears Gaza Tribute T-Shirt with Names of Slain Children

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange made a powerful and emotional appearance at the Cannes Film Festival, wearing a shirt printed with the names of Palestinian children killed in Gaza. The silent tribute turned heads during the photo session for The Six Billion Dollar Man, a new documentary about his life directed by American filmmaker Eugene Jarecki.

Although Assange did not speak to the media, the message on his T-shirt resonated loudly across the red carpet. His wife Stella Assange, speaking on his behalf, said:

“Julian will speak when he is ready. He’s always been this way. He’s recovering physically and mentally.”

Assange was released from British custody in June 2024, after spending five years in prison and seven years in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London fighting extradition to the U.S.

Documentary Aims to ‘Set the Record Straight’ on Assange

Director Eugene Jarecki, known for his politically charged films, said his new documentary The Six Billion Dollar Man seeks to correct widespread narratives about Assange:

“Julian put himself at risk to expose the covert operations of powerful governments and corporations. This film aims to show the human, moral, and legal dimensions of his fight.”

The documentary includes:

• Personal videos from Stella Assange, who began as a legal advisor to WikiLeaks
• Testimonies from insiders involved in spying on Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy, including a private security contractor who admitted to installing bugs later accessed by U.S. intelligence
• Appearances by whistleblower Edward Snowden, human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson, and actress Pamela Anderson, a longtime friend of Assange

Russia Ties Dismissed: “No Evidence,” Says Jarecki

Addressing the controversial claim that WikiLeaks colluded with Russian intelligence during the 2016 U.S. election, Jarecki stated:

“There’s been a lot of noise, but apart from partisan claims, we found no credible evidence linking WikiLeaks directly to Russia.”

This counters the findings of U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, whose investigation concluded that Russian military intelligence hacked the Democratic Party and passed information to WikiLeaks to damage Hillary Clinton’s campaign.

Julian Assange’s return to the public eye — particularly in such a symbolically charged manner — has reignited global debate around free speech, digital transparency, and the human cost of truth-telling.