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This situation will not change until a different party gets in power, carrying a different view of the UK’s relationship with their traditional military allies.

by gaius 9y ago

This situation will not change until a different party gets in power, carrying a different view of the UK’s relationship with their traditional military allies. I’m not sure the PM actually has the power to do that. Assange is wanted right now for skipping bail. No government is going to pass an Act declaring that not-a-crime.

leereeves 9y ago
What's the penalty for that crime? If extradition to the US was absolutely impossible, Assange might be willing to turn himself in and suffer the penalty in order to regain his freedom.
- gaius 9y ago
  What's the penalty for that crime Max 12 months in prison. The ONLY way Assange’s actions make sense is if he expects to be found guilty in Sweden.
  - leereeves 9y ago
    > The ONLY way Assange’s actions make sense is if he expects to be found guilty in Sweden. Or in the US, where there was (still is?) an active criminal investigation of Wikileaks for publishing government secrets.
  - guitarbill 9y ago
    Given the eagerness of the CPS to prosecute, seems like paranoia was a good strategy, no? There's some hidden agenda here, and it's hard to believe it's something as mundane as CPS bloke doesn't want a new case before he retires when emails conveniently get "deleted". I think you can expect better from lawyers. But it's especially galling for a lawyer who works for the government, they should have procedures to retain this information. The only thing that doesn't make sense to me is fleeing to the UK, who's government isn't known for it's integrity.
    - toyg 9y ago
      I don't think he was "fleeing". When he left Sweden, the issue seemed closed, and he was just going on about his life - had tons of contacts in the UK so he went there to continue his work. He was constantly jumping from country to country before this; it just happened that he was in the UK when Ms. Ny escalated proceedings. But yeah, we've seen over and over in the last decade that the UK is one of the last countries you want to be in, if you have anything to do with cybersecurity and digital rights. Assange, the Guardian computers after Snowden, the Snoopers' Charter, DNS censorship...
      - FireBeyond 9y ago
        How did he feel the issue had been closed? He'd not even been interviewed in any way, shape or form. Someone makes an accusation against him, they don't interview him, and just close the issue and he wanders on his life, and only then do they trick him into having to seek refuge? That's more than a little whitewashed, to me.
        toyg 9y ago
        > He'd not even been interviewed in any way, shape or form. He had been contacted already, as part of the process under which charges were initially dropped. The case was subsequently resurrected by Ms. Ny, and it's the interview under this second process that was outstanding when he made arrangements to move on. The warrant was issued two months later.
    - FireBeyond 9y ago
      > was a good strategy, no? Yes. Assange is most assuredly to be applauded for his wise strategizing in running from accusations.
crdoconnor 9y ago
The PM could absolutely decide to recognize the diplomatic immunity Ecuador wants to grant him: https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2018/01/11/uk-rejects-ecuadors-request-for-diplomatic-immunity-for-julian-assange.html https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2018/01/11/uk-rejects-ecu...
toyg 9y ago
There is no need for an Act. The Police answers to the Crown, i.e. the Government, not to the Courts. Should the government accept his diplomatic status, they could tell the Police to step aside.
- gaius 9y ago
  No. The purpose of the Crown in the reporting line is so that when the PM says “do this illegal/extrajudicial thing” everyone replies “I don’t work for you, I work for Her Maj”.

by gaius 9y ago

leereeves 9y ago

What's the penalty for that crime? If extradition to the US was absolutely impossible, Assange might be willing to turn himself in and suffer the penalty in order to regain his freedom.

gaius 9y ago
What's the penalty for that crime Max 12 months in prison. The ONLY way Assange’s actions make sense is if he expects to be found guilty in Sweden.
- leereeves 9y ago
  > The ONLY way Assange’s actions make sense is if he expects to be found guilty in Sweden. Or in the US, where there was (still is?) an active criminal investigation of Wikileaks for publishing government secrets.
- guitarbill 9y ago
  Given the eagerness of the CPS to prosecute, seems like paranoia was a good strategy, no? There's some hidden agenda here, and it's hard to believe it's something as mundane as CPS bloke doesn't want a new case before he retires when emails conveniently get "deleted". I think you can expect better from lawyers. But it's especially galling for a lawyer who works for the government, they should have procedures to retain this information. The only thing that doesn't make sense to me is fleeing to the UK, who's government isn't known for it's integrity.
  - toyg 9y ago
    I don't think he was "fleeing". When he left Sweden, the issue seemed closed, and he was just going on about his life - had tons of contacts in the UK so he went there to continue his work. He was constantly jumping from country to country before this; it just happened that he was in the UK when Ms. Ny escalated proceedings. But yeah, we've seen over and over in the last decade that the UK is one of the last countries you want to be in, if you have anything to do with cybersecurity and digital rights. Assange, the Guardian computers after Snowden, the Snoopers' Charter, DNS censorship...
    - FireBeyond 9y ago
      How did he feel the issue had been closed? He'd not even been interviewed in any way, shape or form. Someone makes an accusation against him, they don't interview him, and just close the issue and he wanders on his life, and only then do they trick him into having to seek refuge? That's more than a little whitewashed, to me.
      - toyg 9y ago
        > He'd not even been interviewed in any way, shape or form. He had been contacted already, as part of the process under which charges were initially dropped. The case was subsequently resurrected by Ms. Ny, and it's the interview under this second process that was outstanding when he made arrangements to move on. The warrant was issued two months later.
  - FireBeyond 9y ago
    > was a good strategy, no? Yes. Assange is most assuredly to be applauded for his wise strategizing in running from accusations.

crdoconnor 9y ago

The PM could absolutely decide to recognize the diplomatic immunity Ecuador wants to grant him: https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2018/01/11/uk-rejects-ecuadors-request-for-diplomatic-immunity-for-julian-assange.html https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2018/01/11/uk-rejects-ecu...

toyg 9y ago

There is no need for an Act. The Police answers to the Crown, i.e. the Government, not to the Courts. Should the government accept his diplomatic status, they could tell the Police to step aside.

gaius 9y ago
No. The purpose of the Crown in the reporting line is so that when the PM says “do this illegal/extrajudicial thing” everyone replies “I don’t work for you, I work for Her Maj”.