It is always hard to grasp the nuances of the political system in other countries. The prime minister is not the head of the parliament; he is the head of the

It is always hard to grasp the nuances of the political system in other countries. The prime minister is not the head of the parliament; he is the head of the government. The head of the parliament is called "talman" (the "speaker" if I would hazard a guess at translating it). You are right in that it is the parliament that make the laws. What the Swedish prime minister has done is defending the Swedish judicial system which, at least to me, seem like a reasonable thing for him to do. You can read more about it here for example http://www.swedishwire.com/politics/8437-swedish-pm-slams-julian-assanges-claims- http://www.swedishwire.com/politics/8437-swedish-pm-slams-ju.... I can not find any reputable sources where he is quoted as saying that Assange is guilty. Regarding the media they have written the same gossip/sensationalistic crap the media of all western countries seem to write in these circumstances, varying wildly between "totally innocent" and "guilty" with a lot of erroneous reporting and misunderstandings in between. Oh, now I understand what you mean with "secret trials", a better way of putting it is "trials that are closed to the public" which is often done here in Sweden in trials concerning rape or children. That is put in place to protect the victims and although I don't know for sure I can't image that we are the only country in the world to practice it. All affected parties are of course allowed in to the court room, but you and I ("the public") are not. The verdict is made public as usual.