Wikileaks Founder Freed On Bail Pending Extradition to Sweden On Rape Charges

Julian Assange will be allowed to stay out of prison while awaiting extradition, ruled a British court. The court will require him to remain at a country estate of a supporter and must wear an electronic bracelet on his ankle.



Assange will be released upon the showing of bail. The court wants the cash in hand, not merely having the pledge of the money:

The judge's decision came during a hearing in downtown London, drawing cheers from a group of Assange's supporters who had gathered outside the court building. As of early afternoon in London, the hearing was still ongoing, with the exact conditions of Assange's bail not yet known. But they are likely to be stringent. On Tuesday, a lower-court judge granted bail but demanded that Assange, an Australian, surrender his passport and submit to monitoring by electronic tag. He would be expected to stay at the country estate of a friend and report daily to the police.

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Also, Assange, 39, can walk out of the south London jail where he has been held since Dec. 7 only after the money for bail has been posted. On Tuesday, the lower court set the amount at $312,000, to be paid in cash.

Before the high-court hearing Thursday, Assange's lawyer, Mark Stephens, said the money was available.

"We believe that we will have the money today. It appears to be in the banking system," Stephens said, adding, "We certainly have pledges from the people who stood behind him on previous occasions."

UPDATE:
In case you were wondering upon the onerous conditions, it includes allowing Assange to stay at the country estate of one of his supporters:

Not too shabby. Indeed, it's a home that most folks would envy with all the amenities available.