Pope Francis meets family of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Francis on Friday granted an audience to the wife of Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks who is behind bars in Britain and battling extradition to the United States.

"The Holy Father has received in audience Mrs. Stella Assange, with family members," a Vatican statement said, with no further details.

Stella Assange tweeted that her family was "overwhelmed" by the private audience, with a photo of herself dressed in black in St. Peter's Square and the hashtag #FreeAssangeNOW.

She is fronting the campaign to have her husband released, but the Vatican did not say if this was discussed in the meeting or if Francis expressed any support for it.

A Vatican spokesman said papal audiences are private affairs.

Assange is wanted in the U.S. over the release of confidential U.S. military records and diplomatic cables in 2010. His supporters see his prosecution as a politically motivated assault on journalism and free speech.

Washington says the release of the documents had put lives in danger.

(Reporting by Alvise Armellini and Gavin JonesEditing by Keith Weir)