WikiLeaks’ Assange Released On Bail
At the hearing that confirmed Julian Assange’s release on bail, the judge banned live Twitter updates
WikiLeaks’ editor-in-chief Julian Assange was released from custody this evening, following a court hearing’s decision to disregard an appeal, believed to have been filed by the Swedish authorities.
The appeal against bail said that there was a fear that Assange would abscond if released, despite bail having been set at £240,000. Justice Duncan Ousley pointed out that Assange’s solicitors had been voluntarily instructed to contact the police shortly after he arrived in the UK and that this would not be the actions of a man likely to abscond.
In addition to the money held in trust and raised by WikiLeaks’ supporters, Assange will also have to wear an electronic tag, observe a curfew and report to the police every day.
Freedom Of Tweets Rescinded
The judge, Justice Ouseley, started the hearing by overturning the decision to allow court correspondents to use Twitter to provide live updates of the proceedings. At the hearing earlier this week when bail was set, history was made as the judge said he would allow tweeting as long as it did not interrupt court business.
Assange’s new lodgings will be a velvet prison. He will spend Christmas at Ellingham Hall, a ten-bedroom stately home set in 600 acres in Norfolk, owned by former Grenadier Guards captain and freedom of speech supporter Vaughan Smith.
The decision may also quieten the threats against the UK government’s Websites of Payback denial of service attacks by the Anonymous group of hackers.
Over the past few weeks, Anonymous Operation has been named as the loosely organised gang behind DDoS attacks on MasterCard, Visa, PayPal and other organisations perceived as being anti-WikiLeaks. The group has also threatened the UK with reprisal attacks if Assange is extradited – as it did with the Swedish government for pressing to have him arrested.
The only arrest of the rogue gang is believed to be that of a sixteen-year old Dutch youth. Details have not been made public but Website TorrentFreak claims to have been told that he is the Internet relay chat (IRC) operator for Anonymous who goes by the online name of “Jeroenz0r.”
