4 ms·

What U.S. charges is he seeking asylum from? Honest question.

dragonwriter 8y ago
He is seeking asylum from British charges, in part notionally based on fear that he will be extradited to the US on currently non-public US charges should he fall back into British custody.
jessaustin 8y ago
Haha you're just so honest. As if USA doesn't regularly transport Americans and non-Americans alike to dungeons in benighted locales around the world for extrajudicial torture and disposal... "charges", that's classic. Back here on earth, USA Senators from both parties regularly accuse Assange of all manner of perfidy. They've all got incriminating shit on file at the TLAs, and regular whinging about Assange or Snowden or whomever is table stakes. When Bloody 'Gina gets her hooks into this guy, who besides Rand Paul will complain?
- ilikehurdles 8y ago
  What is a good way that I could ask this question without getting a toxic response from you?
boomboomsubban 8y ago
A bill was passed labeling Wikileaks a "non-state hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors and should be treated as such." Though I don't think there is a public warrant for his arrest, they likely do have some sealed charges.
- ilikehurdles 8y ago
  Do you have any speculation for what those charges might look like if they're unsealed?
  - dragonwriter 8y ago
    The usual speculation is Espionage Act charges related particularly to the Manning documents, but charges similar to those files against the various Russian parties with regard to the more recent leaks wouldn't be entirely implausible, either.
- brokenmachine 8y ago
  I find it alarming that sealed charges are even a thing. Any links to famous cases, or is it all secret squirrel that we can't be trusted to know about?
  - dragonwriter 8y ago
    > Any links to famous cases, or is it all secret squirrel that we can't be trusted to know about? It is fairly common for indictments of persons not already in custody to be sealed initially if there may be issues with effecting arrest, and sometimes for other reasons (e.g., to avoid compromising parallel investigations). The grand jury process is intended to enforce probable cause requirements, not to provide notice to the accused so that they might better flee arrest. Several of the indictments by the Special Counsel’s office, for some famous examples, were originally sealed.
  - boomboomsubban 8y ago
    They are very common, quite a few felony arrests start sealed to prevent the alleged criminal from fleeing. Or on foreign individuals so they will travel to somewhere they can be grabbed.

He is seeking asylum from British charges, in part notionally based on fear that he will be extradited to the US on currently non-public US charges should he fall back into British custody.

jessaustin 8y ago

Haha you're just so honest. As if USA doesn't regularly transport Americans and non-Americans alike to dungeons in benighted locales around the world for extrajudicial torture and disposal... "charges", that's classic. Back here on earth, USA Senators from both parties regularly accuse Assange of all manner of perfidy. They've all got incriminating shit on file at the TLAs, and regular whinging about Assange or Snowden or whomever is table stakes. When Bloody 'Gina gets her hooks into this guy, who besides Rand Paul will complain?

ilikehurdles 8y ago
What is a good way that I could ask this question without getting a toxic response from you?

boomboomsubban 8y ago

A bill was passed labeling Wikileaks a "non-state hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors and should be treated as such." Though I don't think there is a public warrant for his arrest, they likely do have some sealed charges.

ilikehurdles 8y ago
Do you have any speculation for what those charges might look like if they're unsealed?
- dragonwriter 8y ago
  The usual speculation is Espionage Act charges related particularly to the Manning documents, but charges similar to those files against the various Russian parties with regard to the more recent leaks wouldn't be entirely implausible, either.
brokenmachine 8y ago
I find it alarming that sealed charges are even a thing. Any links to famous cases, or is it all secret squirrel that we can't be trusted to know about?
- dragonwriter 8y ago
  > Any links to famous cases, or is it all secret squirrel that we can't be trusted to know about? It is fairly common for indictments of persons not already in custody to be sealed initially if there may be issues with effecting arrest, and sometimes for other reasons (e.g., to avoid compromising parallel investigations). The grand jury process is intended to enforce probable cause requirements, not to provide notice to the accused so that they might better flee arrest. Several of the indictments by the Special Counsel’s office, for some famous examples, were originally sealed.
- boomboomsubban 8y ago
  They are very common, quite a few felony arrests start sealed to prevent the alleged criminal from fleeing. Or on foreign individuals so they will travel to somewhere they can be grabbed.