WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will spend at least one more night in a British prison, after court officials said Wednesday that an appeal against the decision to grant him bail would not be heard for at least 24 hours.
Officials at the High Court in London said the appeal by Swedish authorities would be heard Thursday. The court said further details would be confirmed later Wednesday.
On Tuesday, a judge ordered Assange released on 200,000 pounds ($316,000 U.S.) bail, but Swedish prosecutors challenged the decision.
Assange has spent a week in prison 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.
Supporters of the 39-year-old Australian say the charges are trumped up and possibly politically motivated.
Assange's British lawyer, Mark Stephens, said Wednesday that “somebody has it in for Julian Assange and we only can conjecture why.”
But lawyer Gemma Lindfield, acting for Sweden, told Tuesday's hearing that Assange faced serious allegations and may abscond if granted bail.
She said he is accused of rape, molestation and unlawful coercion by two women for separate incidents in August. She said one had accused him of pinning her down and refusing to use a condom. A second woman says Assange had sex with her without a condom while he was a guest at her Stockholm home and she was asleep.
Assange has not been charged in Sweden. His lawyers say the allegations stem from a dispute over “consensual but unprotected sex” and argue that he has offered to make himself available for questioning via video link or in person in Britain.
LIndfield 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 offences against two women,” Lindfield said.
District Judge Howard Riddle approved bail on condition Assange wear an electronic tag, stay at a specific address in southern England, report to police every evening and observe two four-hour curfews each day in addition to putting up the bond.
His lawyers are struggling to assemble the bail money, which the court wants to see up front and in cash. Stephens said he had about half the amount by Wednesday.
Commentary by the ottawa mens centre
Julian Assange forced unproteced sex on two women who only consented to
protected sex, while they did not ask for or expect charges of rape, their
stories in their own right are deserving of rape charges against Assange in ANY
western country.
While posters like RichardPalu have blind loyalty to Assange, they should take
the time to look at the damming evidence objectively. The problem is, that while
Assange has done a lot of good work, he has also engaged in some terrible acts
that deserve serious criminal charges and some serious jail time.
It's a tragedy that Assange has turned out to be the creep he is. However, he
comes from a dysfunctional family, lived a dysfunctional life and his behaviour
past present and future is unfortunately, the sort of behaviour that will put
him repeatedly behind bars until and if he learns his lesson.
www.OttawaMensCentre.com
Julian Assange is delusional. He claims that 50% of people compare him to Dr.
Martin Luther King.
Martin Luther King was not a rapist. He did describe himself as a 87% S.L.U.T.
King was most probably not at a high probability of having an STD or HIV.
King did not take the cowards route.
Assange fled Sweden two days before his agreed to interview with the Swedish
Police who appear to have more than enough evidence to convict him of rape in
any western country, not to mention Sweden.
The world is full of rapists, abusers, who abuse their power. Assange forced
unprotected sex upon women while they only consented to protected sex. They did
not consent to being terrorized with fear of having contracted HIV or an STD
from a self confessed 87% S.L.U.T.
Assange shows his true colours, by his walk outs of interviews where he does not
like the question that he can't answer without incriminating himself.
For all those backers of Assange, you should realize that you are backing one of
the worst creeps on the planet.
While he has done an incredible amount of good by releasing some information, he
has destroyed the lives of many not to mention disclose the names of Iraqi
informants for whom such a release is a virtual death sentence. That shows why
Assange should be charged with at least a form of criminal negligence.
Let's hope that the British Court put him on the first flight to Sweden just as
soon as the passenger backlog is cleared at Heathrow.
Anyone who supports Assange should realize that they have backed the wrong
horse.
www.OttawaMensCentre.com