The National Journal reports:
Moore posted $20,000 to help Assange after his bail was set at about $380,000, and strict conditions were set requiring him to surrender his passport, abide by a curfew, and wear an electronic tag. According to a lawyer for Assange, the bulk of the money — some $315,000 — must be paid in cash.
The ordeal isn’t over yet–Swedish prosecutors filed an appeal and Assange will remain in jail until it’s heard by London’s high court within 48 hours, according to the Guardian.
Moore, who is best known for his fierce criticism of the Iraq war, said in a statement to the court that he supports Assange as a “pioneer of free speech, transparent government, and the digital revolution in journalism.”
The director said that “exposing the follies of government and business offers the greater society a chance to protect itself from these follies. Some aren’t just follies. Some are crimes. What do we do with someone who informs the … free people in a democracy … that a crime has been committed? Do we arrest him? Do we try to shut his mouth? Do we hound him, threaten him, track him down, and hunt him as if he is the criminal?”
“That is no crime. That is an act of patriotism,” Moore said in the statement.