WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, arrested in Britain on Swedish allegations of sex crimes, was freed on bail by a British court Tuesday.

Judge Howard Riddle granted him bail with conditions until another hearing on January 11.

The 39-year-old Australian, whose website has provoked U.S. fury by publishing some of a trove of 250,000 classified U.S. diplomatic papers, was accused this year of sexual misconduct by two female Swedish WikiLeaks volunteers during a stay in Sweden.

Assange denies the allegations and is fighting Swedish attempts to extradite him.

(Reporting by Peter Griffiths; Editing by Tim Castle)

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