Julian Assange’s celebrity supporters stake reputations on case

Raggle-taggle of ‘household names’ offered large sums in direction of WikiLeaks founder’s failed bail plea


The by now curious situation of Julian Assange took yet another weird twist yesterday when the courtroom realized that a raggle-taggle of “household names” were ready to stake their status in his situation, supplying sureties to your court which has a total worth of £180,000.

Regardless of claiming not to know Assange, the film-maker Ken Loach and also the socialite and charity fundraiser Jemima Khan stood just before Westminster magistrates and supplied massive  sums in direction of Assange’s bail, even though bail was  later refused.

Offering £20,000, Loach explained he did not know Assange aside from by reputation, but extra: “I believe the function he has carried out has been a public service. I believe we’re entitled to understand the dealings of those that govern us.”

Khan offered a further £20,000, “or more if will need be”.

In a statement later, she explained: “I make no judgment of Julian Assange as an individual as I’ve in no way met him. I am supplying my assist to him as I believe inside the universal proper to freedom of information and our right to be advised the reality.”

On her Twitter feed last month, Khan asked if Assange was “the new Jason Bourne”, a reference to your fictional action hero developed by the thriller author Robert Ludlum. The post has considering that been deleted.

The journalist and filmmaker John Pilger, who also offered £20,000, explained he knew Assange as a journalist and personal buddy and had a “very substantial regard for him”.

The biggest donation of £80,000 was provided by an unknown American relation who didn’t need to be named simply because of worry for his security.

Patricia David, a professor, as well as the leading lawyer Geoffrey Sheen each and every presented up £20,000 surety on grounds that they’d spent their lives fighting for human rights.

Outdoors court Pilger said: “This enterprise in Sweden can be a travesty; an innocent guy has a appropriate to be totally free.

“Having his freedom taken away is outrageous. Sweden need to be ashamed. This is not justice - this can be outrageous.”

He extra: “Behind this he has made a lot of enemies, the principal a single currently being the warmonger, america.”

Howard Riddle, the decide in the court in Horseferry Road, London, commended four of your sureties for their willingness to assist “out of concern for human rights” and without having personalized information of Assange.