WIKILEAKS FOUNDER JULIAN Assange has been denied permission to leave prison to attend Vivienne Westwood’s funeral, her family has said.

Westwood was a strong supporter and friend of Assange, who is being held in Belmarsh prison in London while he continues a lengthy fight to avoid extradition to the United States.

The fashion designer’s family said it was “deeply disappointed that we were unable to fulfil Vivienne’s wishes but are unsurprised by the decision which is unjust and in keeping with the inhumane treatment he has received from the UK authorities up to this point”.

They added: “Julian has not been convicted of any crime, yet he is treated as if he is a terrorist, the only thing he is guilty of is publishing the truth.”

Westwood died on 29 December at the age of 81, surrounded by her family in Clapham, South London.

The pioneering fashion designer made a name for herself on the fashion scene in the 1970s, with her androgynous designs, slogan t-shirts and irreverent attitude towards the establishment.

As the self-styled queen of punk, she always injected controversy into the fashion industry with her risqué creations.

The designer was largely responsible for anti-establishment punk fashion and became known for her subversive and eccentric take on traditional British style.

Some of her best-known creations include the Mini Crini, bustle-skirts, bondage trousers and 12-inch platform shoes, the type which famously tripped up supermodel Naomi Campbell.

- With additional reporting from AFP