Wikileaks appeal set for Thursday

Julian Assange, photographed inside a prison van, is fighting extradition to Sweden

The founder of whistle-blowing website Wikileaks, Julian Assange, will know by Thursday if he will be freed on bail.

Mr Assange remains in Wandsworth Prison after Swedish authorities appealed against a decision to grant him bail.

His lawyer Mark Stephens said about half the £240,000 bail money had been raised and the High Court appeal would be heard on Thursday at the latest.

Mr Assange is fighting extradition to Sweden where he denies sexually assaulting two women.

He was granted bail on condition he provides a security of £200,000 to the court, with a further £40,000 guaranteed in two sureties of £20,000 each.

Mr Stephens said he was confident all the money would be raised before the appeal hearing.

Mr Assange must also surrender his passport, obey a curfew at an address in Suffolk, wear an electronic tag and report to a local police station every evening.

Speaking outside court, Mr Stephens said: “The Swedes won’t abide by the umpire’s decision. They want to put Mr Assange through yet more trouble, more expense, more hurdles.

“They clearly will not spare any expense but to keep Mr Assange in jail.”

Mr Assange said the charges were politically motivated and designed to discredit him, while Mr Stephens said the case was turning into a “show trial”.

A large crowd including demonstrators, reporters and a number of Mr Assange’s high-profile supporters gathered outside City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court for the bail hearing on Tuesday.

Mark Stephens: “They clearly will not spare any expense but to keep Mr Assange in jail”

In his first appearance at court last week, Mr Assange was refused bail on the grounds he could flee – despite the offer of sureties from figures such as film director Ken Loach.

Mr Assange’s other supporters include human rights campaigners Bianca Jagger, Jemima Khan and Peter Tatchell, and journalists Yvonne Ridley and John Pilger.

Mr Assange is accused of having unprotected sex with a woman, identified only as Miss A, when she insisted he use a condom.

He is also accused of having unprotected sex with another woman, Miss W, while she was asleep.

The extradition case is due to return to the magistrates’ court on 11 January.

In recent weeks, Wikileaks has published a series of US diplomatic cables revealing confidential information on subjects such as terrorism and international relations.

These have been detailed in the Guardian in the UK, and several other newspapers around the world.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.