5 ms·
No one on Assange's side is worried about "questioning over the activities of Wikileaks" as BBC story put it. It is very likely he has already been found guilty
by latj 11y ago
No one on Assange's side is worried about "questioning over the activities of Wikileaks" as BBC story put it. It is very likely he has already been found guilty in abstentia in a secret trial.
You are arguing due process. What others are saying is that the US is powerful enough to cause every other country on the planet to behave in a way that would allow due process to bring anyone in a participating country (so not Yemen or Syria) to a US prison. I dont think this is controversial.
If you are in a participating state and the US government wants you for any reason, they can set off a chain of events that will bring you to them. If you are in a non participating state they will just send the drones and it doesnt matter if you are a US citizen, a child, or a bystander.
So, Assange (and his supporters) are saying-- we dont want Assange to avoid justice, we want him to avoid parts of the justice system which may be bending under the influence of the US. The way they are expressing this is by themselves trying to bend parts of the system.
You have to remember, laws dont mean anything anymore, if they ever did. Its been 800 years since Magna Carta and we dont believe in its ideas anymore nor any of our other founding principals. You arent innocent until proven guilty if your guilt makes a good news story, you dont need to be present, you dont need to know who your accusers or judge is, you dont need representation by someone who understands the law, there doesnt need to be any proof you committed a crime and if its going to be too expensive to arrest you and hold your trial we will just blow you up remotely.
The Authorities have had years to question Assange in UK but clearly that is not what the bosses were telling them to do. Until, a few weeks ago that is. Maybe the pressure is subsiding and now justice can be pursued. Or maybe Assange will come down with a tragic case of radiation poisoning shortly after. Who knows.
- ceejayoz 11y ago> It is very likely he has already been found guilty in abstentia in a secret trial. The US Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that such a thing is not permissible. Zero wiggle room on this in the various decisions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_in_absentia#United_States_of_America https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_in_absentia#United_State...
- latj 11y agoI recall reading that evidence Assange was being tried in absentia was leaked but not released. I cannot find anything about it now. I'm willing to accept that I am remembering incorrectly or it must have been a bad source. After all, a few days ago when I heard Santorum's name for the first time this election, I thought "Santorum...but doesnt that mean.....?" Only after looking it up did I remember we made that up. The mind is a frightening thing.