Assange loses appeal against extradition

[Prolesworth]

High court judges rule the WikiLeaks founder should face accusations of rape in Sweden

www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/nov/02/julian-assange-loses-appeal-extradition

GOOD.

[ElderberrySyrup]

was just about to post, you beat me to it!

So far so good.

But we know what's going to happen next, don't we? The chances of him being convicted seem teeny tiny to me.

[AyedaBWells]

Thank goodness for that.

[franke]

This is the right decision. He might go for one last appeal though.

[franke]

Ha ha, Julie Bindel has just tweeted "Assange. Up yours."

[ElderberrySyrup]

The more he appeals and loses the worse he looks.

[JuliaScurr]

Anyone know who the 'supporters' are this time? (Daren't look)

[JuliaScurr]

JA just on R4 news saying he hasn't been charged with anything in any country, it's just this draconian Euro arrest warrant. Well, he would probably have been charged in Sweden EXCEPT HE RAN AWAY.

[ElderberrySyrup]

Daily Mail says 'There was no sign of the celebrity circus that supported him earlier this year including the likes of Jemima Khan, Tony Benn and Bianca Jagger.'

[JuliaScurr]

Hurrah! The useful idiots haven't contributed to the misogyny of their gender blind civil liberties bollocks for once. Good. Go Swedes!

[JosieRosie]

Good news. And at Julie Bindel, she's fab.

[Ciske]

It's a shame, but hopefully it will at least mean that this rape accusation is being resolved. Let's hope his fears are unwarranted and his next journey will not be one where he's extradited to the US.

This is not a simple 'convicted rapist finally gets caught' case and I'm disappointed it's presented this way on a feminist board. This is a man who might be charged with a crime, but like all of us, innocent until proven guilty.

[AyedaBWells]

it will at least mean that this rape accusation is being resolved

That's all that most of us wanted, iirc. I'm disappointed that you haven't understood what's been written here on this case. (Or any rape case, if you are trying the innocent until proven guilty thing.)

[slug]

"This is a man who might be charged with a crime"

Yes. And the crime is rape. Everything else is merely speculation in the media.

[Ciske]

I'm disappointed that you haven't understood what's been written here on this case. (Or any rape case, if you are trying the innocent until proven guilty thing.)

Looking at the cheers people are giving to Julie Bindel's insults, people are not exactly being neutral about this case. Julian Assange has fought his extradition on valid legal grounds and has expressed his concerns about how this is linked to the wider political issues of WikiLeaks and American pressure to have him eventually tried in the US. I don't think you can make this into a simple women's rights issue, there is a lot more going on here.

[ElderberrySyrup]

I'm not neutral. He's an arse. HTH.

[SinicalSal]

It's hardly non-'neutral' to expect someone to at least answer questions, surely.

Do you think it's neutral to accept that a great man such as Assange to be above such petty concerns, and fully justified in running away?

[AyedaBWells]

He should be tried. That's all.

Perhaps he should have been a bit more careful not to have "disrespectful, discourteous or disturbing" sex with not one but two women. Let Sweden prove their case (which is what the proven bit of innocent until proven guilty means).

A "simple" women's right's issue? Pfft. Of course, there are much more important things going on than two women being penetrated against their will. A man is freedom fighting, for goodness sake! Men should not have to seek consent in those situations!

[theothersparticus]

I'm glad he's going back.

If he's guilty, he's guilty and deserves to back to face justice; if he's innocent he can defend himself (and if sweden's trials are anything like UK it wouldn't be too hard to get off) but he shouldn't have run to the UK, doesn't exactly give the impression of a man with nothing to hide.

I feel he's making a big deal of possible extradition to the US to make himself into some sort of martyr and try to discredit the women accusing him.

[Rollon2012]

What happened to innocent till proven guilty?

a forum board can't really act as judge/ jury/ when you wont have all the facts, perhaps some posters should remember that.

[SinicalSal]

we're hardly chasing him down the streets with handcuffs, rollon. we're exchanging opinions on a chat board.

My opinion is he should be tried for the crime he's accused of. Let the justice system act as judge and jury.

[Rollon2012]

No i mean in general this thread isnt soo bad but the earlier assange threads where ready for the gallows,.

[AyedaBWells]

Innocent until proven guilty is a legal term which means that the prosecution has to prove its case against the accused and the accused is legally innocent until the prosecution has done that beyond reasonable doubt.

That I think he is a lying, deluded and entitled ratbag has no bearing on his legal status as innocent until he has been proven guilty.