Assange Freed from Prison on Bail

Julian Assange, the founder of whistleblower website WikiLeaks, was released from prison on Thursday and, as he walked out of prison as a free man, Assange promised to continue publishing the documents that made him famous.

Assange’s release comes after a court in London rejected the appeal formulated by Swedish prosecutors, who wanted to keep him in jail until extradition was settled and they could safely take him to their country, where he is to stand on trial for allegations of sexual nature.

Assange said he would continue his activity and prove his innocence regarding the allegations of sexual assault based on which he is accused in Sweden.

Judge Duncan Ouseley released him on the condition that he should place a bail of $315,000, and sureties that amount to $62,500. Apart from that, he must wear an electronic tag, report to the police every day and stay at the home of Vaughan Smith, former British officer and WikiLeaks supporter.

The leader of the Swedish prosecutor’s office declared that he had no comment on the ruling of the court and that he had no intention of interfering with the proceedings.

Assange has been kept in Wandworth prison since December 7, when he surrendered to the British police. His lawyers complained that he was incarcerated in inappropriate accommodations, while some reports in the press speak of solitary confinement.

While he was in jail, the website he founded continued the publication of the documents that got them into trouble, and WikiLeaks supporters launched cyber attacks against the websites that had banned WikiLeaks from their servers or against the payment companies and banks that closed his accounts.