3 ms·

It is fairly clear that there is an ongoing US investigation into Wikileaks and Assange. Whilst this is ongoing, there would be risk of US extradition requests

by agd 11y ago

It is fairly clear that there is an ongoing US investigation into Wikileaks and Assange. Whilst this is ongoing, there would be risk of US extradition requests were he to leave the embassy (to Sweden or elsewhere). His best strategy is therefore to stay in the embassy for now.

hahainternet 11y ago
> His best strategy is therefore to stay in the embassy for now. Of course his best strategy is to avoid prosecution. That should mean we condemn him as a hypocrite, instead he has actual supporters blaming the victims!
- pfg 11y ago
  The alleged victims are claiming no rape took place and that the police completely misinterpreted what they said, and later got railroaded by them. The initial prosecutor dropped the charges, but another prosecutor with a political background and a radical stance on what should be considered rape appealed that decision and got herself appointed to the case. She then declined multiple requests to schedule another interview with Assange (both in-person and via phone/video conference, which Swedish law allows). I don't understand how anyone could claim, with the facts we now know, that this case has any merit at all and is more than a politically motivated smear campaign.
  - cmdkeen 11y ago
    Except the Swedish appeal courts have had several opportunities to review the warrant, and whilst they have reduced the severity of the allegations in 2010 they upheld it. Again in 2014 Assange went to the Swedish courts to try and get the warrant overturned and failed. So the Swedish courts certainly don't agree that this is a case without merit.
    - pfg 11y ago
      I never claimed otherwise, and while that is factually correct, it doesn't mean any of the other things mentioned are suddenly not true. I think the fact that they reduced the severity of the allegations and even went as far as criticizing the prosecutors for not moving the investigation forward in years is quite telling as well. And while the court's decision might be legally relevant, given all the other facts and seeing how the prosecutor behaves makes it quite clear this is nothing more than a smear campaign. I'm usually the last person to fall for any kind of conspiracy theory, but this case could literally be taken straight from one of Kafka's books. Given all the things we know about this case, and things that went on during the peak of Snowden's story (presidential planes forced to land, among others), it would be naive to think this is not politically orchestrated, and arguing on technicalities plays right into their hands.

by agd 11y ago

hahainternet 11y ago

> His best strategy is therefore to stay in the embassy for now. Of course his best strategy is to avoid prosecution. That should mean we condemn him as a hypocrite, instead he has actual supporters blaming the victims!

pfg 11y ago
The alleged victims are claiming no rape took place and that the police completely misinterpreted what they said, and later got railroaded by them. The initial prosecutor dropped the charges, but another prosecutor with a political background and a radical stance on what should be considered rape appealed that decision and got herself appointed to the case. She then declined multiple requests to schedule another interview with Assange (both in-person and via phone/video conference, which Swedish law allows). I don't understand how anyone could claim, with the facts we now know, that this case has any merit at all and is more than a politically motivated smear campaign.
- cmdkeen 11y ago
  Except the Swedish appeal courts have had several opportunities to review the warrant, and whilst they have reduced the severity of the allegations in 2010 they upheld it. Again in 2014 Assange went to the Swedish courts to try and get the warrant overturned and failed. So the Swedish courts certainly don't agree that this is a case without merit.
  - pfg 11y ago
    I never claimed otherwise, and while that is factually correct, it doesn't mean any of the other things mentioned are suddenly not true. I think the fact that they reduced the severity of the allegations and even went as far as criticizing the prosecutors for not moving the investigation forward in years is quite telling as well. And while the court's decision might be legally relevant, given all the other facts and seeing how the prosecutor behaves makes it quite clear this is nothing more than a smear campaign. I'm usually the last person to fall for any kind of conspiracy theory, but this case could literally be taken straight from one of Kafka's books. Given all the things we know about this case, and things that went on during the peak of Snowden's story (presidential planes forced to land, among others), it would be naive to think this is not politically orchestrated, and arguing on technicalities plays right into their hands.