Julian Assange's celebrity supporters stake reputations on situation

Raggle-taggle of 'household names' offered large sums towards WikiLeaks founder's failed bail plea


The previously curious circumstance of Julian Assange took one more bizarre twist yesterday once the court discovered that a raggle-taggle of "household names" were ready to stake their status in his situation, offering sureties to the courtroom which has a complete value of £180,000.

In spite of claiming not to know Assange, the film-maker Ken Loach as well as the socialite and charity fundraiser Jemima Khan stood ahead of Westminster magistrates and offered huge  sums in the direction of Assange's bail, however bail was  later refused.

Supplying £20,000, Loach stated he didn't know Assange aside from by reputation, but additional: "I assume the work he has performed continues to be a public service. I assume we are entitled to understand the dealings of people that govern us."

Khan provided an extra £20,000, "or more if want be".

Inside a assertion later, she stated: "I make no judgment of Julian Assange as a person as I've in no way met him. I am supplying my support to him as I imagine inside the universal right to freedom of data and our proper to become informed the reality."

On her Twitter feed last month, Khan asked if Assange was "the new Jason Bourne", a reference for the fictional motion hero produced by the thriller author Robert Ludlum. The publish has because been deleted.

The journalist and filmmaker John Pilger, who also presented £20,000, mentioned he knew Assange like a journalist and personal buddy and had a "very higher regard for him".

The largest donation of £80,000 was provided by an unknown American relation who didn't need to be named because of worry for his safety.

Patricia David, a professor, and also the leading lawyer Geoffrey Sheen every single offered up £20,000 surety on grounds that they had invested their lives combating for human rights.

Outdoors courtroom Pilger mentioned: "This business in Sweden can be a travesty; an harmless man has a right to be free of charge.

"Having his freedom taken absent is outrageous. Sweden ought to be ashamed. This is not justice - this really is outrageous."

He added: "Behind this he has produced lots of enemies, the principal a single currently being the warmonger, the united states."

Howard Riddle, the judge on the courtroom in Horseferry Street, London, commended four with the sureties for their willingness to assist "out of concern for human rights" and with out personal expertise of Assange.