Assange Has Half Of Cash Needed For Bail

Why is it that Swedish authorities are so dead set that Julian Assange spends Christmas in jail?

LONDON — A lawyer for Julian Assange said on Wednesday that the WikiLeaks founder's backers had raised around half of the 200,000 pounds ($317,400) cash he needs to secure bail in the Swedish sex crimes case against him.

Lawyer Mark Stephens said members of the public had asked to contribute to the fund to release the Australian, who has outraged U.S. authorities by orchestrating the release of thousands of secret diplomatic cables.

Assange was in a London jail after Swedish authorities appealed against a judge's decision to free him on bail. Assange denies any wrong-doing.

Officials said an appeal against a judge's decision to grant him bail will be heard on Thursday at the High Court in London.

"We have to come up with 200,000 pounds in pound notes and that is difficult to come by," lawyer Mark Stephens told BBC News.

"We've got about half of that right now but of course people will understand that even wealthy people don't keep that kind of money knocking around," he added.

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Prominent public figures including U.S. film-maker Michael Moore, Australian journalist John Pilger and British author Hanif Kureishi have pledged their support for Assange.