Julian Assange back in court to fight for bail

[Joanne98]

Source: MSNBC

LONDON — A British judge will rule Thursday whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has angered Washington by publishing secret diplomatic cables, may be freed on bail over alleged sex crimes in Sweden.

High Court Justice Duncan Ouseley must decide whether to confirm or overturn a lower court's ruling that the 39-year-old Australian could be freed on 200,000 pounds ($317,000) bail, under stringent conditions.

Assange and his lawyers arrived at the courthouse Thursday morning well ahead of the hearing. One of his lawyers, Mark Stephens, told NBC News that he believed they had enough money to post Assange's bail.



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40694843/ns/us_news-wikileaks_in_security/

[Sancho]

1. Will cables between the US and Sweden be admissible?

The plot thickens!

[dipsydoodle]

2. No twittering in court today

All journalists are outside the building.

[kgnu_fan]

3. be safe, julian!

[midnight]

4. I wonder what strict conditions can be applied to an innocent person?

[dipsydoodle]

5. Anything our courts decide believe it or not

and there is no appeal as such against their decision - they become conditions of bail.

Hopefully he'll be free today but the next hurdle is even worse. To defend the extradition proceedings using a defence that they are politically motivated his defence will need to PROVE that to be so which might not be too easy.

[EFerrari]

6. It seems so weird to me to be able to order someone who hasn't been charged

to wear an electronic monitor.

And I wonder if his lawyers are willing to point to Sweden's unhappy cooperation with rendition or the evidence that the government is keeping their anti-terrorism cooperation with the US secret from the parliment.

[dipsydoodle]

9. Yes it is odd

but under the present circumstances I'd say its better than remaining banged up in Wandsworth.

Another thing that came out today was that the scale of the charge he may face in Sweden has been downgraded by one to a level at which if found guilty the penalty could range betweem a suspended sentence and 4 years.

I still think he's safer here in the UK certainly for the time being.

[dipsydoodle]

7. Bail has been granted !

Conditions pending.

[EFerrari]

8. Amy just said it! Great news.