Swedish Court Upholds Arrest Warrant For Assange

[HardOCP News]

I don't understand why Julian Assange just doesn't turn himself in and get this over with? I tell you this, I'd rather go to court and clear my name than sit another day hiding in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. That might as well be jail.

Today, Sweden's Court of Appeal issued the decision on Assange's appeal against extradition. The ruling upholds the warrant, meaning there is no change in his situation. "The Court of Appeal shares the assessment of the District Court," it states, "that there is still a risk that Julian Assange will flee or otherwise evade legal proceedings or a penalty." The ruling continues, "Ultimately this is a question of weighing the public interest of the suspected offence being investigated in a secure way against the right of the individual not to have their freedom of movement."

 

[Zion Halcyon]

He doesn't turn himself in because if he did he would be assassinated long before he ever reached trial.

 

[Iceshot]

I don't understand why Julian Assange just doesn't turn himself in and get this over with? I tell you this, I'd rather go to court and clear my name than sit another day hiding in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. That might as well be jail.

Today, Sweden's Court of Appeal issued the decision on Assange's appeal against extradition. The ruling upholds the warrant, meaning there is no change in his situation. "The Court of Appeal shares the assessment of the District Court," it states, "that there is still a risk that Julian Assange will flee or otherwise evade legal proceedings or a penalty." The ruling continues, "Ultimately this is a question of weighing the public interest of the suspected offence being investigated in a secure way against the right of the individual not to have their freedom of movement."

Steve, the single biggest reason as I understand it is Sweeden and the United States have extradition agreements. Once the sweedish authorities have their hands on Assange as soon as they are through with him he will be extradited to the U.S. to face charges for all the damning and embarrassing classified information Wikileaks has released. Put another way, if he ever sets foot outside of the Ecuadorian embassy it means he will be extradited to the United States where it's almost certain he will live out of the rest of his life in prison.

I think we can all reasonably assume Ecuador would not grant Assange asylum unless he could reasonably proove to them that the rape charges were bogus.

 

[Zion Halcyon]

Steve, the single biggest reason as I understand it is Sweeden and the United States have extradition agreements. Once the sweedish authorities have their hands on Assange as soon as they are through with him he will be extradited to the U.S. to face charges for all the damning and embarrassing classified information Wikileaks has released. Put another way, if he ever sets foot outside of the Ecuadorian embassy it means he will be extradited to the United States where it's almost certain he will live out of the rest of his life in prison.

I think we can all reasonably assume Ecuador would not grant Assange asylum unless he could reasonably proove to them that the rape charges were bogus.

Don't kid yourself. He won't live that long.

 

[naib]

Steve, the single biggest reason as I understand it is Sweeden and the United States have extradition agreements. Once the sweedish authorities have their hands on Assange as soon as they are through with him he will be extradited to the U.S. to face charges for all the damning and embarrassing classified information Wikileaks has released. Put another way, if he ever sets foot outside of the Ecuadorian embassy it means he will be extradited to the United States where it's almost certain he will live out of the rest of his life in prison.

I think we can all reasonably assume Ecuador would not grant Assange asylum unless he could reasonably proove to them that the rape charges were bogus.

You mean a VERY similar extradition agreement that the USA has with the UK and the UK has extradited british citizens to the US.

Seriously this is the weakest excuse for an accused rapist. The UK had him in custody (before he skipped bail). The US, if they really wanted him & via an extradition order, would have stood a better chance via the British gov'n than with Sweden's YET they never applied for one.

--edit--
in fact, on this very forum, it is reported the UK gov'n is again extraditing a british citizen to America
Accused UK Hacker To Be Extradited To The US To Face Charges

So please explain how, if his fear really is about extradition why
1) he was in Sweden in the 1st place
2) he was in the UK
3) he only started spinning that once the rape allegations were raised

 

[Iceshot]

You mean a VERY similar extradition agreement that the USA has with the UK and the UK has extradited british citizens to the US.

Seriously this is the weakest excuse for an accused rapist. The UK had him in custody (before he skipped bail). The US, if they really wanted him & via an extradition order, would have stood a better chance via the British gov'n than with Sweden's YET they never applied for one.

--edit--
in fact, on this very forum, it is reported the UK gov'n is again extraditing a british citizen to America
Accused UK Hacker To Be Extradited To The US To Face Charges

So please explain how, if his fear really is about extradition why
1) he was in Sweden in the 1st place
2) he was in the UK
3) he only started spinning that once the rape allegations were raised

Assange's case and story is a vast and complex one spanning almost a decade. He is without a doubt one of the most controversial people alive today. No way will you, I, or anyone else make a decisive "case closed" argument regarding his innocence (or lack their of) in a forum with publicly disclosed facts alone. The "honest" attempt alone would require a wall of text and research far beyond what either of us is willing to do.

What I feel can be "Reasonably" agreed upon is that Assange would have to present a compelling argument firmly rooted in verifiable facts to Ecuador for them to grant asylum to a guy facing rape charges. Does this clear his name? Of course not, but his arguments on the rape charges were compelling enough to convince a neutral 3rd party (country) to grant asylum in spite of the charges. This has merit and weight, How much, is up to you and everyone else "individually" in the court of public opinion.

 

[lcpiper]

He doesn't turn himself in because if he did he would be assassinated long before he ever reached trial.

Everyone says it, it never happens.

 

[Wierdo]

He's not worried about Sweden, he's worried about the US pulling another one of those due-process-free Megaupload witch hunts on his ass.

 

[heatlesssun]

Everyone says it, it never happens.

This guy would be better protected than 99.999% of the world if he actually when through the process.

 

[Zion Halcyon]

Everyone says it, it never happens.

It doesn't happen because he is in asylum in Ecuador.

Although there was an armed bandit who tried to breach his compound in the last month.

If yer gonna snark, at least do your homework.

 

[lcpiper]

It doesn't happen because he is in asylum in Ecuador.

Although there was an armed bandit who tried to breach his compound in the last month.

If yer gonna snark, at least do your homework.

No, it just doesn't happen, to anyone.

He has been granted asylum by Ecuador, but he is not in Ecuador, he's in London dude, inside the Ecuadoran embassy, and he can't leave without getting arrested for a bail violation. So in as far as the Ecuadoran embassy is considered Ecuadoran soil, yes he's in Ecuador, all 80,000 square feet of it.

And I read a bunch of the reports, none I saw said the intruder was armed.

 

[xX_Jack_Carver_Xx]

It's all BS. The CIA made arrangements with the Swedish govt. The case is a ruse to get him into Swedish hands, who have already agreed to turn him over the the US for prosecution over the Wikileaks/Manning data releases.

Come on, seriously, having consensual sex, but blowing your load is a CRIME? What exactly did you THINK was going to happen? It's a crock and a ruse.

He isn't concerned with the silly case, it is the fact the US will grab him ... and the Brits can't touch him on Ecuadorian soil. haven't you people been paying any attention?

 

[naib]

He's not worried about Sweden, he's worried about the US pulling another one of those due-process-free Megaupload witch hunts on his ass.

the same sort of thing the UK gov'n could have done when he was in British custody.

 

[Chupachup]

It's all BS. The CIA made arrangements with the Swedish govt. The case is a ruse to get him into Swedish hands, who have already agreed to turn him over the the US for prosecution over the Wikileaks/Manning data releases.

I wager that's YOUR guess? If not, where's you supporting evidence?

As noted above, if the U.S. wanted him as bad as he says they do, the U.S. would have asked the U.K. to extradite him when they had him in custody. Assange threw up this whole "extradition" smoke and mirrors B.S. after skipping on his bail from the U.K. authorities as the Swedish rape accusations came out after he skirted his way out of THAT country.

If the rape accusations are as fraudulent as he has stated, why would he run and have put up such a fight regarding being deposed by Swedish authorities. Now, following his deposition by authorities (from the safety of the Ecuadorian embassy), the courts of Sweden have upheld his arrest warrant.

He's a clown pariah whose non sequitur tales leave him less believable every time he speaks.

 

[Uvaman2]

I wager that's YOUR guess? If not, where's you supporting evidence?

As noted above, if the U.S. wanted him as bad as he says they do, the U.S. would have asked the U.K. to extradite him when they had him in custody. Assange threw up this whole "extradition" smoke and mirrors B.S. after skipping on his bail from the U.K. authorities as the Swedish rape accusations came out after he skirted his way out of THAT country.

If the rape accusations are as fraudulent as he has stated, why would he run and have put up such a fight regarding being deposed by Swedish authorities. Now, following his deposition by authorities (from the safety of the Ecuadorian embassy), the courts of Sweden have upheld his arrest warrant.

He's a clown pariah whose non sequitur tales leave him less believable every time he speaks.

You are just a rookie. Maybe you are young, or old and don't pay attention.
The whole process was to get his reputation nice and damaged in Sweden, THEN extradited.
We gotta have the dog and pony show, US is still not routinely up front about repression, its typically more complicated than that, so most people think like you do.

 

[naib]

Assange's case and story is a vast and complex one spanning almost a decade. He is without a doubt one of the most controversial people alive today. No way will you, I, or anyone else make a decisive "case closed" argument regarding his innocence (or lack their of) in a forum with publicly disclosed facts alone. The "honest" attempt alone would require a wall of text and research far beyond what either of us is willing to do.

What I feel can be "Reasonably" agreed upon is that Assange would have to present a compelling argument firmly rooted in verifiable facts to Ecuador for them to grant asylum to a guy facing rape charges. Does this clear his name? Of course not, but his arguments on the rape charges were compelling enough to convince a neutral 3rd party (country) to grant asylum in spite of the charges. This has merit and weight, How much, is up to you and everyone else "individually" in the court of public opinion.

...
The accusation of rape is between himself and Sweden as that is where the accusations were raised.

What you stated was he fears extradition from Sweden to America. I am dismissing that because the UK has EXACTLY the same extradition treaty & more to the point regularly honors them.
The UK extradites UK citizens to America so WHY wouldn't America extradite an Australian citizen if America requested? Has America requested? no they have not.

Assange is an Australian citizen. Australia has an extradition treaty with USA
He is wanted in Sweden for questioning, he is not a swedish national and sweden has an extradition treaty with USA
He is wanted in the UK for skipping bail, he is wanted in the UK due to an arrest warrant, the UK has extradition treaty with Sweden and America

 

[naib]

You are just a rookie. Maybe you are young, or old and don't pay attention.
The whole process was to get his reputation nice and damaged in Sweden, THEN extradited.
We gotta have the dog and pony show, US is still not routinely up front about repression, its typically more complicated than that, so most people think like you do.

why not extradite straight from UK. The UK had him in custody, sweden never had him in custody

 

[lcpiper]

It's all BS. The CIA made arrangements with the Swedish govt. The case is a ruse to get him into Swedish hands, who have already agreed to turn him over the the US for prosecution over the Wikileaks/Manning data releases.

Come on, seriously, having consensual sex, but blowing your load is a CRIME? What exactly did you THINK was going to happen? It's a crock and a ruse.

He isn't concerned with the silly case, it is the fact the US will grab him ... and the Brits can't touch him on Ecuadorian soil. haven't you people been paying any attention?

What tripe.

If the US wants Assange extradited we don't need to wait for him to go to Sweden, we have an extradition treaty with England that works just fine. Some people will believe the stupidest bullshit just because it makes our government look like evil bastards. I'm not saying we don't have a few of those, but when you have to make up shit and warp everything around so it sounds like a conspiracy, well some people just have to take that bait.

A sucker born every day.

And the first problem with your premise right off the git go, why the CIA? An organization that has nothing at all to do with Law Enforcement. Why them?

If someone is making deals, why not the Justice Department or the FBI? I'll tell you why, cause someone watches too much Hollywood and doesn't know how their own government works.

 

[lcpiper]

why not extradite straight from UK. The UK had him in custody, sweden never had him in custody

It's because he believes there was an elaborate plot to discredit Assange before trying him. What bullshit that is.

I mean, the US treated Chelsea Manning so very very badly, as the Federal Government allows him to have his sex change while serving a prison term. But for some really stupid reason, the crying hearts of the world, the ones that think warfare is supposed to be pursued politely, they think Manning was a good guy.

Reaction to Manning's disclosures, arrest, and sentence was mixed. Denver Nicks, one of her biographers, writes that the leaked material, particularly the diplomatic cables, was widely seen as a catalyst for the Arab Spring that began in December 2010, and that Manning was viewed as both a 21st-centuryTiananmen Square Tank Man and an embittered traitor.[17] Reporters Without Borders condemned the length of the sentence, saying that it demonstrated how vulnerable whistleblowers are.

Chelsea Manning - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I love people that write for wikipedia, I was in Iraq in 2007 and 2008 and the Arab Spring was being talked about then, it was already happening, and it was viewed as a good thing because those Iraqis were starting to take over looking after themselves. But hey, it was a catchy phrase that the media decided to apply to the movement that birthed ISIS, now they can't tell one from the other.

Stupid and ignorant people that don't even understand their own natures.

 

[Wierdo]

the same sort of thing the UK gov'n could have done when he was in British custody.

Which is why he ran to the Ecuadorian embassy before his UK case concluded, yes.

Amusingly, the UK spent around twenty million dollars keeping an eye on him in case he tries to escape, tax money well spent I'm sure - but probably worth it for the political brownie points to the wigs.

 

[Wierdo]

It's because he believes there was an elaborate plot to discredit Assange before trying him. What bullshit that is.

I mean, the US treated Chelsea Manning so very very badly, as the Federal Government allows him to have his sex change while serving a prison term. But for some really stupid reason, the crying hearts of the world, the ones that think warfare is supposed to be pursued politely, they think Manning was a good guy.

Manning is basically being tortured to death.

In the old days they used to hang bodies on stakes to make an example, these days they just lock them in solitary confinement and let them rot, same motives, citizen stay obedient to the ruling class, but less messy on the outside and the "benefits" last longer when the subject is kept alive.

 

[lcpiper]

Manning is basically being tortured to death.

In the old days they used to hang bodies on stakes to make an example, these days they just lock them in solitary confinement and let them rot, same motives, citizen stay obedient to the ruling class, but less messy on the outside and the "benefits" last longer when the subject is kept alive.

Manning was in solitary confinement while awaiting trial, more accurately, suicide watch. Not anymore, Chelsea Manning is and has been in normal Gen Pop at the Max Security Prison at Fort Leavenworth, KS. Along with all the rest who are similarly sentenced to long terms and or specific types of crimes.

She is not in Solitary Confinement.

 

[Chupachup]

You are just a rookie. Maybe you are young, or old and don't pay attention.
The whole process was to get his reputation nice and damaged in Sweden, THEN extradited.
We gotta have the dog and pony show, US is still not routinely up front about repression, its typically more complicated than that, so most people think like you do.

You obviously forgot to adjust your tin foil and take your meds as the nurse directed. Okay! Do you see how insults didn't prove a point? Much like yours failed to answer my original question and validate your position?

I'm a "rookie", why?! Because, generally, I'm of any age, living and willing to question your ability to properly assess the situation using available facts? Because, you think I'm not capable of paying attention, when it's obvious you're incapable of understanding both the timeline of events and where at numerous points Assange tarnished his own reputation -through his own actions- and where the U.S. could have made legal requests for extradition (with no need for Bush/Cheney-styled rendition) if they so desired, yet didn't?

Again, cite your evidence without linking to Infowars, Breitbart or another conspiracy theory clickbait site! Validate your position using available evidence or simply vacate it because you can't. Name calling and poor attempts at character assassination does NOT validate your position and only hastens to weaken it further=)

 

[Bandalo]

If the US government really wanted him dead, he'd be dead.

They'd love to arrest him, but not enough to risk the bad press and problems of going to get him forcefully. You think the Ecuadorian embassy security would stop a determined US force? The same argument applies to assassination. There's no way he could be killed without the US being held responsible in an international court of opinion. He's just way too high visibility for that kind of thing.

He's pissed off a whole lot of people, so he's not going to have a lot of friends in the US, the UK or a lot of EU countries either. That doesn't mean he's not guilty of any of the charges in Sweden though, and all the time he spends avoiding response to those charges just makes him look more and more guilty.

 

[westrock2000]

I love people that write for wikipedia, I was in Iraq in 2007 and 2008 and the Arab Spring was being talked about then, it was already happening, and it was viewed as a good thing because those Iraqis were starting to take over looking after themselves. But hey, it was a catchy phrase that the media decided to apply to the movement that birthed ISIS, now they can't tell one from the other.

Stupid and ignorant people that don't even understand their own natures.

So you think that Egypt, Libya, Iraq, Syria, Yemen have just been normal natural ebb & flow? Leaders overthrown and killed or imprisoned. "Rebels" that have access to weapons and are trained on how to use them, who paid for that?. It's all been a good thing?

You never looked around over there and thought "Why am I here?" Did you ask the citizens of Iraq what they thought of Saddam and what they thought of OUR tribunal sentencing him to death?

 

[lcpiper]

So you think that Egypt, Libya, Iraq, Syria, Yemen have just been normal natural ebb & flow? Leaders overthrown and killed or imprisoned. "Rebels" that have access to weapons and are trained on how to use them, who paid for that?. It's all been a good thing?

You never looked around over there and thought "Why am I here?" Did you ask the citizens of Iraq what they thought of Saddam and what they thought of OUR tribunal sentencing him to death?

No, I think a term "Arab Spring" that was being used for one set of events has been "stolen" and used to characterize an entirely different set of events.

If you go to the Wiki page on "Arab Spring" they credit it's beginning around 2010, but I received briefings on the :Arab Spring" and what was happening while I was in Iraq, 2006-2007.

Does that make more sense now?

As for asking Iraqis about Saddam, every single one I spoke with was happy he was gone. Admittedly, that was a very small number and they all had jobs on the Army FOB, so it makes some sense that the Iraqis I had access to were a subset of the population, and one more likely to have favored our actions and less likely to speak ill of them.

Besides that, they all thought I was some super-spook boss and were very careful talking with me.

 

[naib]

...
The accusation of rape is between himself and Sweden as that is where the accusations were raised.

What you stated was he fears extradition from Sweden to America. I am dismissing that because the UK has EXACTLY the same extradition treaty & more to the point regularly honors them.
The UK extradites UK citizens to America so WHY wouldn't America extradite an Australian citizen if America requested? Has America requested? no they have not.

Assange is an Australian citizen. Australia has an extradition treaty with USA
He is wanted in Sweden for questioning, he is not a swedish national and sweden has an extradition treaty with USA
He is wanted in the UK for skipping bail, he is wanted in the UK due to an arrest warrant, the UK has extradition treaty with Sweden and America

And as I stated...
The "fear of extradition from Sweden" hold no weight because the UK has an extradition treaty with the USA & are willing to send British citizens...

Assange has broken UK law by skipping bail, he was only wanted in Sweden for questioning...

Now America are preparing an arrest warrant for Assange
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/20/politics/julian-assange-wikileaks-us-charges/index.html
US prepares charges to seek arrest of WikiLeaks' Julian Assange

Assange is in the UK in a foreign embassy of Ecuador. The moment Assange steps outside the UK will arrest him due to skipping bail and because there is an arrest warrant in Sweden. Couple that with a possible extradition order that might be coming... It has been a ruse all along because the UK is a more hostile place for someone wanted in America... as I stated