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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Julian Assange

265 replies

NeurotrashWarrior · 11/04/2019 10:45

Julian Assange: Wikileaks co-founder arrested in London www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47891737

OP posts:
KindOfAGeek · 12/04/2019 14:34

This is not correct. Sweden has very close intelligence and diplomatic ties with the US. It even provides US diplomatic services in some countries where the US doesn't have a presence, one example being North Korea.

Of course they do. Sweden is far from God and close to Russia.

Sweden dropped the charges, and the presumption is it was a matter of clearing the path for his release because it is inconvenient for all parties involved, except Assange, but mostly for Ecuador.

If you're an Assange stan, you probably have picked out the parts where the media is upset because 1st Amendment! The 1st Amendment doesn't cover breaking the law, ie assisting a potential leaker break into a safe, carrying out a briefcase or assisting in covering cyber tracks of password tampering. Other parts of the media have covered that, and if there's a trial, the lawyers need to tread carefully (as would the judge) if the 1st Amendment is to be preserved. (Yes, there are issues there).

As for the politics, most "Resisters" are angry at Obama for failing to notify the country about the depth of Putin's efforts to elect Trump. They have also noted that Trump loved WL in 2016, and that Roger Stone was his bestest bud.

Some people can walk and chew gum at the same time.

There is no guarantee extradition will be granted. No guarantee it will not. The charge is for 5 years maximum, the death penalty is not involved, and this has always seemed to me to be one of those great spy conspiracy stories where people will be embarrassed about the position they took later.

deepwatersolo · 12/04/2019 15:03

and this has always seemed to me to be one of those great spy conspiracy stories where people will be embarrassed about the position they took later.

You just described the Russiagate mania. Still waiting for Trump being marched off in handcuffs and tried for treason.

deepwatersolo · 12/04/2019 15:13

Seumas Milne really summed it up well in 2012:

'None of that should detract from the seriousness of the rape allegations made against Assange, for which he should clearly answer and, if charges are brought, stand trial. The question is how to achieve justice for the women involved while protecting Assange (and other whistleblowers) from punitive extradition to a legal system that could potentially land him in a US prison cell for decades.

The politicisation of the Swedish case was clear from the initial leak of the allegations to the prosecutor's decision to seek Assange's extradition for questioning – described by a former Stockholm prosecutor as "unreasonable, unfair and disproportionate" – when the authorities have been happy to interview suspects abroad in more serious cases.

...

The solution is obvious. It's the one that Ecuador is proposing – and that London and Stockholm are resisting. If the Swedish government pledged to block the extradition of Assange to the US for any WikiLeaks-related offence (which it has the power to do) – and Britain agreed not to sanction extradition to a third country once Swedish proceedings are over – then justice could be served. But with loyalty to the US on the line, Assange shouldn't expect to leave the embassy any time soon.'

Bouledeneige · 12/04/2019 15:18

Creepy chauvinist narcissist. The world moved on whilst he was soiling the walls of the Ecuadorean embassy. I hope he spends time in jail - I don't really care where.

R0wantrees · 12/04/2019 15:19

Rowan, basically the same words were used in the Reuters article, the two women did not originally report a crime

Andy You seem to be very selective in deciding which details are pertinent.
The inquiry did not/could not progress.
It seems possible that one of the allegations may be investigated:

BBC recent update: 'Julian Assange: Sweden considers reviving rape inquiry'
What is the Swedish investigation about?
Assange was accused of rape following a Wikileaks conference in Stockholm in 2010. He has always denied the allegation, saying the sex was consensual.

Swedish prosecutors dropped the investigation into Assange in 2017 because they were unable to proceed while he remained in the Ecuadorean embassy.

Assange also faced two other charges of molestation and unlawful coercion, but these were dropped in 2015 because time had run out.

Prosecutors will now re-examine the rape case to decide whether to resume it before the statute of limitations runs out in August 2020.

Ms Massi Fritz, lawyer for the alleged victim, said the arrest came as a shock but "what we have been waiting and hoping for since 2012 has now finally happened".

She said: "No rape victim should have to wait nine years to see justice be served."

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47910820

deepwatersolo · 12/04/2019 15:24

Swedish prosecutors dropped the investigation into Assange in 2017 because they were unable to proceed while he remained in the Ecuadorean embassy.

But why was that? Why was it impossible for Sweden to proceed? Apparently Sweden had interviewed suspects abroad previously, and in more serious cases. And Ecuador would have given up Assange (and I believe he had consented), if there had been guarantees from Sweden not to extradite for Wikileaks related charges, something Sweden would have been able to do from a legal perspective.

So, why was Sweden unable to do that? If justice for the women would have been the primary concern, this could have easily been done. What prevented Sweden?

R0wantrees · 12/04/2019 15:32

BBC
"In 2016, Sweden's chief prosecutor Ingrid Isgren travelled to the Ecuadorean embassy in London to question Mr Assange over the 2010 rape allegation. Prosecutors had already dropped their investigation into the sexual assault allegations after running out of time to question and bring charges against him."

MrsTerryPratchett · 12/04/2019 15:34

And Ecuador would have given up Assange (and I believe he had consented), if there had been guarantees from Sweden not to extradite for Wikileaks related charges, something Sweden would have been able to do from a legal perspective.

Would they? I mean had the extradition request been made by the US to Sweden at that point? You can't say you won't do something when you don't actually know what that something is. If the US had said, "oh actually he committed a murder we just found out about, can you extradite him?" a prior agreement not to extradite would be unfortunate. And considering how many rapists end up with more and more women coming forward, there's always that possibility.

I don't know BTW I'm asking.

His quoted remarks about the women make him look guilty as sin as far as I can tell.

deepwatersolo · 12/04/2019 15:38

Another report on a cable published by Wikileaks/Assange, in another episode of our miniseries 'When reporting the crime is more heavily punished than commiting it...':

'A U.S. diplomatic cable made public by WikiLeaks provides evidence that U.S. troops executed at least 10 Iraqi civilians, including a woman in her 70s and a 5-month-old infant, then called in an airstrike to destroy the evidence, during a controversial 2006 incident in the central Iraqi town of Ishaqi...

...autopsies performed in the Iraqi city of Tikrit showed that all the dead had been handcuffed and shot in the head. Among the dead were four women and five children. The children were all 5 years old or younger.'

www.mcclatchydc.com/news/special-reports/article24696685.html

deepwatersolo · 12/04/2019 15:40

You can't say you won't do something when you don't actually know what that something is. If the US had said, "oh actually he committed a murder we just found out about,

What about 'actions related to Wikileaks publications' is unclear? Please.

deepwatersolo · 12/04/2019 15:43

BBC: In 2016, Sweden's chief prosecutor Ingrid Isgren travelled to the Ecuadorean embassy in London to question Mr Assange over the 2010 rape allegation. Prosecutors had already dropped their investigation into the sexual assault allegations after running out of time to question and bring charges against him.

Yes, I remember that. Only 3 years later. So, what prevented Sweden from guaranteeing not to extradite to the US for any wikileaks related activities?

deepwatersolo · 12/04/2019 15:44

Sorry 4-6 years later I wanted to say (depending on when the offer was made by Ecuador).

Smotheroffive · 12/04/2019 16:35

He belongs at the bottom of a cesspit, where he should be in familiar surroundings.

The evidence he has brought to light needs to be the subject of a case against the perpetrators of these war crimes.

Bastard protectors of the bastard perpetrators.

Assange knew of the undercover operations leading to his arrest, and was accessing Ecuador's own security files, despite being denied embassy internet access, etc. (Whilst smearing the walls with his fecal matter).

His behaviour was his own downfall once the previous Ecuadorian presidents protection left the building.

He had people on the outside pursuing UK SS OPs!

Bit uncomfortable that Harry has now accessed our state secret OPs and married to an american influencer

deepwatersolo · 12/04/2019 16:41

The evidence he has brought to light needs to be the subject of a case against the perpetrators of these war crimes.

Please. His prosecution (for apparently unsuccessfully trying to figure out a password) will make sure similar crimes will not come to light in the future, and that is exactly the reason for his prosecution.

Smotheroffive · 12/04/2019 17:10

His prosecution for what deep there's more than one thing in play here?

Smotheroffive · 12/04/2019 17:11

Can you explain what you mean here please, instead of just expressing negatively?

KindOfAGeek · 12/04/2019 17:22

You just described the Russiagate mania. Still waiting for Trump being marched off in handcuffs and tried for treason.

Absolute nonsense, deep. We haven't seen the Mueller report or even a summary of the report. What we have see is a letter from a guy who got his job by claiming obstruction of justice isn't a crime if a president does it. Even he had to admit Mueller did NOT exonerate Trump, and the letter also admits the was foreign (eg Russian) interference in the 2016 election. (That is what the letter says).

Very few serious persons in the Resistance were talking about carting Trump off to jail, although quite a few non-serious Internet personalities went for the meme-mified clickbait.

Assange and Manning are a new version of Sacco and Vanzetti and not much more.

deepwatersolo · 12/04/2019 17:38

I mean silencing journalists is the reason for the prosecution of Assange by the US. (The reason for his Swedish prosecution or threat thereof, whatever, was his misconduct against the women, obviously. Though the reason this was dragged out was in my view Sweden‘s decisions not to guarantee not to extradite for wikileaks related Matters).

deepwatersolo · 12/04/2019 17:52

Well KindOfAGeek, Mueller‘s Team has already injected that Barr‘s depiction was too rosy regarding obstruction. No word they think he mischaracterized the findings (or actually Lack thereof) regarding collusion.

But we will see. I don‘t doubt Trump will at some point face charges for some illegal, corrupt business dealings (probably once out of office). But the Russia collusion ship has sailed imo. Sure, in some quarters it will live on forever, like Benghazi does among the MAGA crowd.

But, yeah, let‘s wait for the Mueller report to come out.

MrsTerryPratchett · 12/04/2019 19:20

Though the reason this was dragged out was in my view Sweden‘s decisions not to guarantee not to extradite for wikileaks related Matters).

And his decision not to face the police regarding sexual assault charges. Let's not forget his role in all this.

deepwatersolo · 12/04/2019 20:28

And his decision not to face the police regarding sexual assault charges. Let's not forget his role in all this.

To be precise, he was questioned by police while in Sweden.

www.theguardian.com/media/2019/apr/11/julian-assange-key-dates-in-wikileaks-founders-case

He was told it was ok to leave Sweden, and later, when free in the UK he repeatedly offered to undergo questioning in the embassy in Sweden.

'Stephens said Assange has repeatedly offered to meet Swedish investigators either at the Swedish embassy in London or at a police station in the UK.'

It was extraordinary that Sweden insisted he need to return to Sweden for questioning.

www.theguardian.com/media/2010/nov/18/sweden-arrest-warrant-julian-assange

You can't call that 'a decision not to face the police' in good conscience.

RedToothBrush · 12/04/2019 20:43

You lost me at 'Seamas Milne says'.

FannyCann · 13/04/2019 00:07

No doubt after seven years confinement his mental health has suffered. My sympathies are with the Ecuadorians.

Assange's fetid lair: Squalid horror drove embassy to kick him out
mol.im/a/6917341

stumbledin · 13/04/2019 01:14

For those of you speculating about Sweden and its justice system would strongly suggest you read this article from 2012 which explains their procedures in detail. And make it fairly clear that hiding in the Embassy was Assange's way of not complying.

www.newstatesman.com/blogs/media/2012/09/legal-mythology-extradition-julian-assange

As someone posted elsewhere if you add to gether the time he has spent in the Embassy (7 years) the 2 years he is likely to spend in prison while the extradition case is heard, and if that is sucessful and he is found guilty of computer hacking (5 years) is probably more than any sentence he would have got in Sweden on the sexual assault charges.

Sometimes I think this is about a male ego more interested in misrepresenting himself as some sort of freedom hero when the reality is he is a seedy male who didn't want this to be his record in history.

Apparently some time ago he trade marked his name!!!

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