There was an early sign that the day would go in Assange's favour when Ouseley said: "The history of the way it [the case] has been dealt with by the Swedish prosecutors would give Mr Assange some basis that he might be acquitted following a trial."
It had been widely supposed that Sweden had taken the decision to oppose bail, with the Crown Prosecution Service acting merely as its representative. But the Swedish prosecutor's office told the Guardian it had "not got a view at all on bail" and that Britain had made the decision to oppose bail."
Assange and his lawyers have expressed fears of a legal battle in the US, where prosecutors may be preparing to indict him for espionage over WikiLeaks' publication of the documents.
Judge Duncan Ouseley agreed to release Assange on strict conditions, which include a bail of $315,000, plus two sureties equaling about $62,500. He also must wear an electronic monitoring tag, check in with police daily and stay at the home of former British army officer and WikiLeaks supporter, Vaughan Smith.
As a result, she said, Sweden would not submit any new evidence or arguments to the high court hearing. "The Swedish authorities are not involved in these proceedings. We have not got a view at all on bail."
Assange has been held in Wandsworth prison in London since Dec 7, when he surrendered to authorities.
The 39-year-old Australian arrived at the high court in a white prison van. Photographers swarmed around the vehicle in an attempt to get a picture. Amid intense media interest, a queue of journalists had formed as early as 6am.
One of Assange's lawyers, Mark Stephens, said as he entered court Thursday that the bail money had been raised by a number of Wikileaks supporters and that it appeared to be "in the banking system."
The CPS confirmed that decisions to oppose bail for Assange had been taken by its lawyers. "In all extradition cases, decisions on bail issues are always taken by the domestic prosecuting authority," it said. "It would not be practical for prosecutors in a foreign jurisdiction … to make such decisions."
The WikiLeaks website has released hundreds of classified documents since the website was launched in 2006, roiling governments worldwide. The latest batch include nearly 250,000 secret U.S. diplomatic cables.
The website has continued to distribute the classified U.S. cables while Assange is in jail, and his online supporters have launched attacks against those they see as persecuting him.
Posted in: Assange granted bail to Walk Out of Jail,Julian Assange,WikiLeaks