WikiLeaks gets court victory in VISA battle

A lawyer for WikiLeaks' Icelandic payment processor says that the secret-spilling site has won an important court battle against the financial blockade imposed by VISA and MasterCard.

Attorney Sveinn Andri Sveinsson says that an Icelandic court has ordered VISA and MasterCard's local partner, Valitor, to resume processing donations to WikiLeaks within two weeks or face 800,000 kronur (about $6,000) in daily fines.

Sveinsson claims that Thursday's judgment means credit card donations could soon be flowing to WikiLeaks' payment processor, DataCell.

Reykjavik-based Valitor could still appeal. The company didn't immediately return messages seeking comment.

A slew of U.S. financial companies cut their ties to WikiLeaks following its decision to publish some 250,000 U.S. State Department documents. WikiLeaks says the blockade has had a crippling effect on its finances.