Sweden appeals Assange’s U.K. bail
Prosecutor argues he has ‘means and ability’ to flee
LONDON – A British judge ordered Julian Assange released on $316,000 bail Tuesday, but the WikiLeaks founder will remain in custody for at least two more days after Swedish prosecutors challenged that decision.
Assange has spent a week in a U.K. jail following his surrender to British police over a Swedish sex-crimes warrant. He denies any wrongdoing but has refused to voluntarily surrender to Sweden’s request to extradite him for questioning – arguing that he could be questioned from Britain.
In a day of courtroom drama, the 39-year-old Australian was first told by a judge that he would be freed, then less than two hours later was informed he had at least another 48 hours in custody. Britain’s High Court will hear the Swedish appeal, but it wasn’t clear exactly when.
Lawyer Gemma Lindfield, acting for Sweden, had asked the court to deny Assange bail, arguing Tuesday that the allegations against him were serious, that he had only weak ties to Britain and that he had “the means and ability to abscond.”
She also rejected attempts to link Assange’s case with the work of WikiLeaks – which last month deeply angered U.S. officials by beginning to publish its trove of 250,000 secret U.S. diplomatic cables.
“This is not a case about WikiLeaks, rather a case about alleged serious offenses against two women,” Lindfield told the court Tuesday.
Lindfield has said Assange is accused of rape, molestation and unlawful coercion by two women last August in Sweden.
Several wealthy supporters – including filmmaker Michael Moore – have put up a total of $380,000 as a guarantee for Assange.