WikiLeaks: Michael Moore says supporting Julian Assange 'true act of patriotism'

Moore, whose anti-establishment documentaries have embarrased the American government and major US companies, confirmed he had offered US$20,000 (£12,675) towards Mr Assange's bail application.

He also disclosed that he offered use of his own website and servers to help WikiLeaks maintain their flow of disclosing government secrets.

Accused of sex crimes in Sweden, the 39-year-old Australian on Tuesday won bail in a London court but must remain in jail after Swedish prosecutors appealed the decision.

Moore, 56, the maker of Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11 and The Big One, questioned the charges brought against Mr Assange, adding that guilty or innocent, the Wikileaks founder had the right to defend himself.

"All I ask is that you not be naive about how the government works when it decides to go after its prey," he said.

"Please - never, ever believe the 'official story.

Moore also offered "the assistance of my website, my servers, my domain names and anything else I can do to keep WikiLeaks alive and thriving as it continues its work to expose the crimes that were concocted in secret and carried out in our name and with our tax dollars."

"Openness, transparency - these are among the few weapons the citizenry has to protect itself from the powerful and the corrupt... and that is the best thing that WikiLeaks has done," Moore said.

Supporting WikiLeaks, he concluded, is "a true act of patriotism. Period."

Mr Assange, is currently fighting efforts to extradite him over claims he sexually assaulted two women and raped one of them.

Despite authorities claiming he had never been interviewed by police, the court was told that Mr Assange had given a lengthy statement “denying any question of rape or molestation”.

After the hearing on Tuesday, Mr Assange was freed after a judge granted him conditional bail.

The Chief Magistrate, Howard Riddle, overturned an earlier decision to deny bail to Mr Assange, instead imposing strict conditions and ordering his supporters lodge £200,000 with the court.

But within hours Swedish prosecutors announced an appeal, which must be heard by Thursday at the latest.

In a statement posted on thedailybeast.com, Mr Moore said a British court had been presented with "a document from me stating that I have put up 20,000 dollars of my own money to help bail Mr Assange out of jail".