Lawyers Win Battle To See Assange In Prison
3:43pm UK, Wednesday December 08, 2010
Sky sources have confirmed that Julian Assange's legal team are due to meet him in Wandsworth Prison on Thursday, ahead of a court appearance on December 14.
Julian Assange is currently in Wandsworth Prison
The information comes after the lawyers for the WikiLeaks founder had complained they did not have access to their client.
The Australian spent Tuesday night in Wandsworth Prison after turning himself into police over sexual assault allegations made against him in Sweden.
He was arrested and refused bail until another hearing on December 14 as the judge considered him a flight risk.
Mr Assange's legal team had voiced their frustration they were not able to speak to him over the phone and would not have access to him for another five days.
"We've been told we can't get to see our client in Wandsworth Prison until the 13th as they say they don't have the capacity to facilitate a legal visit until then," his solicitor Mark Stephens told Sky News.
Mr Stephens claimed he did not know if Mr Assange wanted him to appeal against the bail ruling, saying he would not find out until they met.
He also said the legal team had still not seen the evidence against him.
Mark Stephens has struggled to contact his client
Being allowed to see his lawyer will come as a huge relief to Mr Assange who has voiced fears the US are behind attempts by Swedish prosecutors to extradite him.
In another development, Sky News foreign affairs editor Tim Marshall confirmed the arrival of extradition specialist Geoffrey Robertson in the UK.
The Australian human rights lawyer, whose chambers specialise in extradition proceedings with Scandinavian countries, has cut short his summer holiday in Sydney to represent Mr Assange.
There are growing fears the WikiLeaks chief could somehow end up being extradited to the US, where he has been widely condemned for leaking 250,000 secret documents.
Australian foreign minister Kevin Rudd confirmed the 39-year-old had contacted the Consul-General in London and asked for its support, which has been granted.
"That is the proper thing to do for any Australian citizen," said Mr Rudd.
Mr Assange's arrest comes after PayPal and Mastercard both blocked donations to his website.
2010-12-08
WikiLeaks: Julian Assange's Legal Team To Visit Him In Jail After Claiming They Were Denied Access | UK News | Sky News
via news.sky.com
