Julian Assange is out on bail after an appeal to keep him incarcerated failed. Image: Elekhh/Wikimedia Commons/CC-BY-SA

The controversial head of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, is out on bail. A recent court hearing granted him the right to post bail and get out of jail, but an appeal was immediately filed against bail on behalf of the Swedish government. The appeal was denied, and Assange is out.

Julian Assange allowed to post bail

Recently, a court hearing in England allowed Julian Assange the right to bail, if he could post sufficient financial backing. However, Assange was not immediately released, as attorneys filed an appeal against his right to post bail on behalf of the Swedish government. The appeal was unsuccessful, however, and Assange is now out of jail, according to The Telegraph. He has been held in a London jail for the past eight days. As his status is greater than the typical drunk driver, he has been in solitary confinement. He said to the press that if “justice is not always an outcome, at least it is not dead yet.” It is rumored that the jail cell he stayed in was once occupied by writer and poet Oscar Wilde, though that hasn’t been proven.

With a little help from his friends

Assange had to rely on the posting of sureties, or pledges of money toward bail, from numerous supporters and friends. Filmmaker Michael Moore put up $20,000. There were also donations from journalist John Pilger, socialites Jemima Kahn and Bianca Jagger, according to Bloomberg. Assange had to post 200,000 pounds or about $312,000. He also had to post additional sureties and guarantees of bail money on top of the original 200,000 that he would not flee the country after posting bail.

Strict conditions of release

Though he is out of jail, Assange is not free to roam as he pleases. His passport was surrendered to the British court, as he was deemed a flight risk. He has to reside in Suffolk at the home of Vaughan Smith, a journalist and nightclub owner, at night under strict curfew. Assange also will be monitored electronically and has to check in with police every day.

Sources

The Telegraph

Bloomberg

Bail has been granted to Julian Assange by the court in England. Image: New Media Days/Flickr.com/CC-BY-SA

After rampant speculation and numerous motions, bail has been granted to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange by court order. He will be subject to remote monitoring and will have to check in with police daily. Whether Assange will be extradited to Sweden remains to be determined.

Bail for Assange by court order

Bail has been secured to Julian Assange in court, according to the New York Times. A warrant was issued in Sweden for Assange’s arrest and extradition, although he hasn’t been charged with a crime. However, last week he agreed to surrender to Scotland Yard and was taken into custody. Since then, friends and supporters — including controversial American filmmaker and political activist Michael Moore — have been trying to secure his bail, which had been previously denied. However, he has been granted conditional bail after several friends offered a surety — a legal guarantee of funds — of about 200,000 pounds or $380,000. Assange will have to check in with police daily by 6 p.m., will have an electronic monitoring device on his ankle and cannot attempt to leave Britain. His passport will not be released by the court.

Strange charges

Julian Assange, controversial founder of WikiLeaks, is wanted in connection with rape allegations in Sweden, though he hasn’t been formally charged with a crime. Swedish law concerning crimes of a sexual nature is far more complex than in other countries. A person may be guilty of certain rape charges even if all sexual acts that took place were entirely consensual. His lawyer has argued that since the charges are not considered crimes in England, he shouldn’t be extradited, according to The Telegraph. After Assange was granted bail, an appeal against it was lodged on behalf of the Swedish government, so he won’t be released for a few more days.

Bailing for Columbine

The pledge for bail surety that has been getting the most online attention is that of filmmaker Michael Moore, director of “Fahrenheit 9/11″ and “Bowling for Columbine.” According to Fox News, Moore pledged $20,000 toward bail for Assange. Other contributors to Assange’s bail include journalists John Pilger and Gavin MacFayden, filmmaker Ken Loach and socialite Jemima Kahn.

Sources

New York Times

The Telegraph

Fox News