Assange - foreign office threaten to arrest him

[Empusa]

Article here

They are talking about revoking the Ecuadorian embassy's diplomatic immunity in order to enter the embassy.

Wonder if they will actually do so?

[albertswearengen]

So after reading this thread I went on the net to try and help me understand what the actual legal position was and found this summary very useful.
//www.newstatesman.com/blogs/david-allen-green/2012/08/legal-myths-about-assange-extradition

[Childrenofthestones]

The Liberal media goes to work.


medialens.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=686:incinerating-assange-the-liberal-media-go-to-work&catid=25:alerts-2012&Itemid=69

[CoteDAzur]

Both women were named in newspapers a long time ago.

[Kladdkaka]

They were leaked Ennis. I don't know who by though.

[MrsGuyOfGisbourne]

Swedish law is clearly fairer to both sides in that context, so since JA's name was made public in Sweden and thence the whole world, it is therefore entirely reasonable for the accusers also to be publicly known. In fact, their names were known from the start as they went public at the outset about the welcome they gave to him in their - erm - homes.

[TheDoctrineOfEnnis]

Thanks, Klad. Were the statements you linked to previously leaked or have the police made some kind of official exception?

[Kladdkaka]

Under Swedish law both the accused and the accuser have anonimity in rape cases. Sadly however, this case is being tried in the court of media and therefore all parties have been publicly identified since the get go.

[TheDoctrineOfEnnis]

But that is because it is UK law and most posters are from the UK. You could start a campaign to change the law and you may well get support from some MNers.

[MrsGuyOfGisbourne]

Rape is a serious crime. Andy yet it appears to be unchallenged in the mumsnset orthodoxy to publicise the name of a person accused of that serious crime, while the accuser remains anonymous. Hence the hypocrisy.

[TheDoctrineOfEnnis]

MrsGuy, I don't entirely understand your point, but In the UK, the names of alleged victims of rape are protected, the names of alleged rapists are not. That isn't Mumsnet hypocrisy, it is UK law.

I don't know what Swedish law is in this respect.

[MrsGuyOfGisbourne]

so fine to bandy out accusations naming the alleged perp, but hidng under anonymity? Mumsnet hypocrisy in spades.

[TheDoctrineOfEnnis]

The statements she linked to, I mean.

[TheDoctrineOfEnnis]

Erm, I thought they were named in Kladdaka's statements up thread? Or maybe the Swedish police puts random names on statements like that (a la Jane Doe) so those weren't the actual names.

[Empusa]

I assume Sweden has the same laws as us regarding naming accusers in sex crime cases?

[AGiraffeOnTheDivingBoard]

yes just happened on Newsnight

he got a bollocking from the brilliant woman from the Independent

[Empusa]

Have just seen tweets that one of Assange's supporters has named one of the victims, anyone know if that's true?

[albertswearengen]

Cowardycustard creams

[TheDoctrineOfEnnis]

Millionaire's Shortchanged?
(Jemima Khan springs to mind)

[albertswearengen]

I think Assange is an idiot but I found his balcony scene nauseating until I read Jon Ronson's tweet that "he looks like John Inman with a messiah complex". Now that is funny.
I think if they want him out all they have to do is stop taking him so seriously. Station some people outside the embassy singing comedy songs about him and generally taking the piss - his ego would just implode.

[EldritchCleavage]

Jammy (Bail) Dodgers
Choco Leggedit

[drjohnsonscat]

ooh ooh. Got one.

Custod(y) Creams.

[drjohnsonscat]

vivalebeaver yes let's ask him what his favourite biscuit is.

[giveitago]

He's loving the attention. Which other asylum seeker gets this much attention? Good on ecuador for standing up to britain. Seems to me like UK is caught in the middle of something that has nothing to do with and can't handle. However I'm not necessarily thinking these sexual abuse charges are fraudulent and wonder what these women are thinking now with this massive assange adoring lobby. I'd like to see him questioned about the allegations so that charges can either be made or the investigation dropped completely.

Perhaps we need a few FCO SOS? I'm not sure william hague can really hack (scuse pun) this situation.

[Xenia]

US/UK . Only topic about which I wrote to my MP before they had their recent commons debate on it. However despite their promises i think the Tories have decided to do nothing about it. The problem is you are locked up for years and forced to plea bargain if you go over there - so it is not the same justice system at all and because you are foreign you are not given bail where you would be here so it is not fair at all.

Also we were conned into accepting it because it was an anti terrorist measure just as we are conned into censorship laws "to protect the children" and women like lambs to the slaughter follow hook line and sinker the party line and let more and more of our freedoms be eroded on "child protection" grounds.

[EldritchCleavage]

I tend to agree with Xenia that this extradition treaty we've got with the US is very worrying-one-sded and with insufficient safeguards. I also agree with her that freedom of speech and of the press is important. I still think Assange should be sent to Sweden.