WikiLeaks' Assange denied bail in Britain
Source: Agencies |
December 8, 2010, Wednesday
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A BRITISH judge denied Julian Assange bail yesterday after the WikiLeaks founder told a London court he would fight efforts to extradite him to Sweden to face a sex-crimes investigation.
Meanwhile, the secret-spilling websites' finances came under increasing pressure as both Visa and Mastercard cut off funding methods, but a WikiLeaks spokesman said details from classified United States diplomatic cables would keep flowing - regardless of what happened to the group's founder.
"This will not change our operation," Kristinn Hrafnsson said.
As if to underline the point, WikiLeaks released a cache of a dozen new diplomatic cables, its first publication in more than 24 hours.
Assange appeared at the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court in London yesterday afternoon after turning himself in to Scotland Yard earlier in the day. He showed no reaction as Judge Howard Riddle denied bail and remanded him in custody.
Assange and his lawyers claim the Swedish accusations from two women stem from a "dispute over consensual but unprotected sex" dating back to August, and have claimed the case has taken on political overtones. Swedish officials have rejected those claims.
Assange faces rape and sexual molestation allegations in one case and sexual molestation and unlawful coercion in the other. He denies the allegations.
Riddle asked the 39-year-old Australian whether he understood that he could consent to be extradited to Sweden. Assange cleared his throat and said: "I understand that and I do not consent."
The decision to fight extradition could be difficult. Extradition experts say that European arrest warrants like the one issued by Sweden can be tough to beat, barring mental or physical incapacity. Even if the warrant was defeated on a technicality, Sweden could simply issue a new one.
Assange's website, meanwhile, came under increasing financial pressure yesterday - with both Visa and MasterCard saying they would block payments to the controversial site.
Visa said it was taking steps "to suspend Visa payment acceptance on WikiLeaks' website pending further investigation into the nature of its business and whether it contravenes Visa operating rules."
MasterCard said it would suspend payments "until the situation is resolved."
PayPal, an online payment service, has already cut its links to the website, while Swiss authorities closed Assange's new Swiss bank account on Monday.
Told of Assange's arrest, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who is in Afghanistan, said: "That sounds like good news to me."
Meanwhile, the secret-spilling websites' finances came under increasing pressure as both Visa and Mastercard cut off funding methods, but a WikiLeaks spokesman said details from classified United States diplomatic cables would keep flowing - regardless of what happened to the group's founder.
"This will not change our operation," Kristinn Hrafnsson said.
As if to underline the point, WikiLeaks released a cache of a dozen new diplomatic cables, its first publication in more than 24 hours.
Assange appeared at the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court in London yesterday afternoon after turning himself in to Scotland Yard earlier in the day. He showed no reaction as Judge Howard Riddle denied bail and remanded him in custody.
Assange and his lawyers claim the Swedish accusations from two women stem from a "dispute over consensual but unprotected sex" dating back to August, and have claimed the case has taken on political overtones. Swedish officials have rejected those claims.
Assange faces rape and sexual molestation allegations in one case and sexual molestation and unlawful coercion in the other. He denies the allegations.
Riddle asked the 39-year-old Australian whether he understood that he could consent to be extradited to Sweden. Assange cleared his throat and said: "I understand that and I do not consent."
The decision to fight extradition could be difficult. Extradition experts say that European arrest warrants like the one issued by Sweden can be tough to beat, barring mental or physical incapacity. Even if the warrant was defeated on a technicality, Sweden could simply issue a new one.
Assange's website, meanwhile, came under increasing financial pressure yesterday - with both Visa and MasterCard saying they would block payments to the controversial site.
Visa said it was taking steps "to suspend Visa payment acceptance on WikiLeaks' website pending further investigation into the nature of its business and whether it contravenes Visa operating rules."
MasterCard said it would suspend payments "until the situation is resolved."
PayPal, an online payment service, has already cut its links to the website, while Swiss authorities closed Assange's new Swiss bank account on Monday.
Told of Assange's arrest, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who is in Afghanistan, said: "That sounds like good news to me."
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