martes, 14 de diciembre de 2010

Hot topics news: Wikileaks founder bailed, but release delayed

The founder of whistle-blowing website Wikileaks, Julian Assange, has been granted bail in London on conditions including cash guarantees of £240,000.

But he will remain in prison pending an appeal against the bail decision lodged by Swedish prosecutors.

Mr Assange is fighting extradition to Sweden, where he is accused of sexually assaulting two women earlier this year.

He denies the charges, which he says are politically motivated and designed to discredit him.

His lawyer Mark Stephens said the case was turning into a "show trial".

A large crowd including demonstrators, reporters and a number of Mr Assange's high-profile supporters gathered outside City of Westminster Magistrates' Court for the bail hearing on Tuesday.

Journalists inside the court were given permission by the judge to report on proceedings live via micro-blogging website Twitter.

Mr Assange was granted bail on condition he provides a security of £200,000 to the court, with a further £40,000 guaranteed in two sureties of £20,000 each.

He must also surrender his passport, obey a curfew at an address in Suffolk, wear an electronic tag and report to a local police station every evening.

Mr Stephens said the court would hear the challenge to the bail decision within the next 48 hours.

Speaking outside court, he said: "The Swedes won't abide by the umpire's decision. They want to put Mr Assange through yet more trouble, more expense, more hurdles.

"They clearly will not spare any expense but to keep Mr Assange in jail."


'No access'

Mrs Assange also read a statement from him, which she had copied down when he spoke to her from Wandsworth Prison. In it, he defended the actions of Wikileaks, adding: "My convictions are unfaltering."

Mr Stephens said his client had not been given any of his post - including letters relating to legal letters - since being remanded in custody.

Protesters supporting Julian Assange outside City of Westminster Magistrates' Court

People demonstrated in support of Mr Assange outside
City of Westminster Magistrates' Court

"He has absolutely no access to any electronic equipment, no access to the outside world, no access to outside media," he said.

The lawyer said the only correspondence his client had received was a note telling him that a copy of Time magazine sent to him had been destroyed because the cover bore his photograph.

In recent weeks, Wikileaks has published a series of US diplomatic cables revealing secret information on topics such as terrorism and international relations.

The latest release, published by the Guardian newspaper, shows that the US had concerns after the 7 July bombings that the UK was not doing enough to tackle home-grown extremists.

Another cable claims British police helped "develop" evidence against Madeleine McCann's parents after she went missing.

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