LONDON — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was refused bail and jailed for a week by a British court Tuesday, pending an extradition hearing over alleged sex offenses in Sweden.
Assange surrendered to U.K. police earlier in the day in the latest blow to his WikiLeaks organization, which faces legal, financial and technological challenges after releasing hundreds of secret U.S. diplomatic cables.
Swedish prosecutors had issued an arrest warrant for the 39-year-old Australian, who is accused of sexual misconduct with two different women.
Assange surrendered at 9:30 a.m. local time (4:30 a.m. ET) Tuesday. The U.K.'s Guardian newspaper reported that Assange later arrived at a London court accompanied by British lawyers Mark Stephens and Jennifer Robinson.
During his court appearance, Assange said he would fight extradition to Sweden and he provided the court with an Australian address. Britain's Sky News reported that Assange was receiving consular assistance from officials at the Australian High Commission.
The next court hearing is scheduled to take place December 14, and Assange will remain in custody until then because he was deemed to be a flight risk.
Judge Howard Riddle told Assange that he had "substantial grounds" to believe he wouldn't turn up for subsequent proceedings.
English socialite Jemima Khan offered in court to stand as surety for Assange if he was released, the U.K. Press Association reported.
Gemma Lindfield, acting for Swedish authorities, laid out the four allegations against Assange in court. According to the Press Association report, they were as follows:

  • The first complainant, Miss A, was alleged to be victim of "unlawful coercion" on the night of Aug. 14 in Stockholm. Assange was accused of using his body weight to hold her down in a sexual manner.
  • Assange was accused of having "sexually molested" Miss A by having sex without a condom despite her "express wish" that one should be used.
  • He was also alleged to have "deliberately molested" Miss A on Aug. 18 "in a way designed to violate her sexual integrity."
  • Assange had sex with the second complainant, Miss W, on Aug. 17 without a condom while she was asleep at her Stockholm home.

In response to the decision to refuse bail, WikiLeaks tweeted: "Let down by the UK justice system's bizarre decision to refuse bail to Julian Assange. But #cablegatereleases continue as planned."
'Go viral'
Speaking after the hearing, Stephens said it had been difficult to mount an argument for bail because he had not been able to see any of the evidence against Assange.
He said "many people believe this prosecution is politically motivated," but added that he was "sure the British judicial system is robust enough not to be interfered with by politicians." He said he hoped he would be able to say the same for the Swedish system.
Stephens said the judge appeared to have made a "close call" on whether to release Assange on bail. He said the judge had asked to see the evidence, which Stephens believed was "very thin indeed," against Assange.
Several supporters gathered outside the court holding placards reading "Gagging the truth" and "Protect free speech," NBC News said.
"This is going to go viral," Stephens said. "Many people will come forward to stand as an asurety to Mr. Assange."

He said he had been told WikiLeaks would continue to exist in Assange's absence. "They have many thousands of journalists in a virtual journalistic community around the world." Stephens said.
In Sweden, prosecutor Marianne Ny told a news conference that the sexual misconduct case was a personal matter for Assange and not connected with his work releasing secret U.S. diplomatic cables, according to newspaper Aftonbladet. "We have nothing which indicates that this is a plot," she said.
Assange had been hiding out at an undisclosed location in Britain since WikiLeaks began publishing hundreds of U.S. diplomatic cables online last month.
The legal troubles for Assange stem from allegations leveled against him by two women he met while in Sweden over the summer. The arrest warrant under which he was detained by British police arrived on Monday this week.
Assange denies the allegations, which his lawyer Stephens says stem from a "dispute over consensual but unprotected sex." Assange and Stephens have suggested that the prosecution is being manipulated for political reasons.
'He is not violent'
One of the women involved in the sexual abuse allegations told the Swedish daily newspaper Aftonbladet that she had had voluntary relations with him and had never wanted him to be charged with rape, the Guardian said.
"He is not violent and I do not feel threatened by him," she said — anonymously — according to the paper.
A spokesman for WikiLeaks called Assange's arrest an attack on media freedom and said it won't prevent the organization from releasing more secret documents.



source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40544697...ks_in_security