Assange to go!

[Xordium]

Care to explain what suffering has been caused? Also the whole point of the info that wikileaks released, was that we either didn't know or didn't have evidence.

I doubt Assange is very happy at the moment
I doubt Manning is very happy at the moment
I doubt these people are alive at the moment

 

[Castiel]

What is wrong with Ecuadors human rights record? They could treat the indigenous people better but the same can be said for Australia but you wouldn't have a go at them would you?

You might want to actually read the thread.

 

[Robbo]

Oh.... lord. ?

Your post was beyond hilarious. I hope it was a joke.

 

[Ahleckz]

=
Why won't Sweden give assurances to Assange and the Equidorian government that they won't extradite him to the United States if he goes to Sweden for an interview?

Here's a reason: They don't want to interview him at all. After all, they already did interview him, and the first prosecutor threw out the accusation.

Constitutionally, they can't do this. A high ranking (or ex high ranking) Swedish politician said this the other day.

 

[Collider]

What is wrong with Ecuadors human rights record? They could treat the indigenous people better but the same can be said for Australia but you wouldn't have a go at them would you?

They aren't exactly covered in glory. And he hasn't sought asylum in the Australian Embassy.

Worth a read;

http://www.hrw.org/americas/ecuador

I would particularly suggest checking out the restrictions on journalism, freedom of speech restrictions, political and legal corruption and suppression of the political opposition.

Don't get me wrong there are lots of places with despicable human rights records but Assange's stance on the US, his criticism of secrecy, his exposure of secrets and lack of judicial power etc might tempt one to think he wouldn't want to cosy up to Ecuador.

But he has.

I am critical of Assange and think he has harmed himself and Wikileaks both with this approach he is taken because he held himself up as the Champion of something. And what does it amount to really when it makes him look like he built an anti US hill of beans.

I'd have hoped for rather more from him myself, were I a fan.

Corruption, inefficiency, and political influence have plagued the Ecuadorian judiciary for many years. In a referendum held in 2011, President Rafael Correa obtained a popular mandate for constitutional reforms that could significantly increase government powers to constrain media and influence the appointment and dismissal of judges.

Ecuador’s laws restrict freedom of expression, and government officials, including Correa, use these laws against his critics. Those involved in protests marred by violence may be prosecuted on inflated and inappropriate ‘terrorism’ charges.

Impunity for police abuses is widespread and perpetrators of murders often attributed to a “settling of accounts” between criminal gangs are rarely prosecuted and convicted.

 

[deanolfc]

Your post was beyond hilarious. I hope it was a joke.

o dear o dear go back to sleep sir

 

[AGD]

Whatever label people choose to stick on him (I wouldn't bother with that one myself) he has questions to answer in Sweden and I don't believe minimising his crimes into nothing actually does him any favours..it makes you and others defending him look like an apologist for allegations of sexual offences. It really appears as if you want to make the offences look like nothing and Assange look completely innocent..if he is then great, go to Sweden, answer the questions, face any charges then as in your view and the view of people defending him, he won't be found guilty in a million years anyway.

As a result he can freely and happily go to Sweden. He can leave the Embassy and get on a plane this afternoon.

This is not about whether or not he is guilty of sexual offences, it is about his fear that he could be extradited to the US from Sweden. It is perfectly rational to fear the death penalty and or indefinite solitary confinement in conditions amounting to torture.

Now you may believe that it is unlikely that the US would seek his extradition, but many others do not.

Why is it so difficult for the Swedish to question him (for a second time) in the uk?

 

[Xordium]

This is not about whether or not he is guilty of sexual offences, it is about his fear that he could be extradited to the US from Sweden. It is perfectly rational to fear the death penalty and or indefinite solitary confinement in conditions amounting to torture.

Now you may believe that it is unlikely that the US would seek his extradition, but many others do not.

Why is it so difficult for the Swedish to question him (for a second time) in the uk???

Why is it so difficult for the US to extradite him from the UK but not from Sweden?

 

[Chris [BEANS]]

Why is it so difficult for the Swedish to question him (for a second time) in the uk?

This continually comes up despite being answered numerous times by numerous people. Read the thread.

 

[Robbo]

o dear o dear go back to sleep sir

 

[Collider]

This is not about whether or not he is guilty of sexual offences, it is about his fear that he could be extradited to the US from Sweden. It is perfectly rational to fear the death penalty and or indefinite solitary confinement in conditions amounting to torture.

Now you may believe that it is unlikely that the US would seek his extradition, but many others do not.

Why is it so difficult for the Swedish to question him (for a second time) in the uk???

I guess the question I would ask in response to that, is why on earth should they do that? Why would they treat Assange differently to anyone else. Lets face it anyone else wouldn't be politely asked to a meeting in the UK to be questioned about sex offences. Also, the Swedish system is not the same as ours, any charges follow questions, its an investigative system using it's Prosecutors much the same as, say, France.

Also to extradite him from Sweden they would have to give the same assurance on the death penalty (removing it from the table) as they would if they sought extradition from the UK.

I don't believe it is more or less likely they will try and extradite him from Sweden or UK, I think they'd actually stand a better chance of getting him from here.

Ecuador also has an extradition treaty with the US, it notably does not have one with Sweden.

 

[deuse]

I guess the question I would ask in response to that, is why on earth should they do that? Why would they treat Assange differently to anyone else..

They did it for a murderer..but oh hum...

 

[Third Opinion]

You realise it's an embassy, not a hotel right?

It's a couple of offices on the ground floor of a building shared by a load of other businesses. Not being funny but the Iranian civilians raided a UK embassy without repercussion.

What the Ecuadorians gonna do, the Iranians smashed ours to pieces.

I am just getting sick of the UK carrying the can for this whole mess. He is not wanted for crimes by us. As usual the UK gets the nasty end of the stick and has to mop the problems of the rest of the world and will be left smelling far from roses.

Does this idiot really think we can influence America? And where are the EU in this matter?

 

[Collider]

I doubt Assange is very happy at the moment
I doubt Manning is very happy at the moment
I doubt these people are alive at the moment

It's pretty shocking that isn't it. It makes you wonder what they really thought they were doing. Perhaps they didn't think the Taliban have the internet.

I think one of the questions Assange has not answered (and I am not sure whether he has been asked but I think he should be) is why the hell didn't they anonymise completely anything that could have lead to people who acted in cooperation with the coalition forces / interpreting etc being exposed to the Taliban.

 

[AGD]

Why is it so difficult for the US to extradite him from the UK but not from Sweden?

There is more public support for Assange in the UK so it would be harder to do politically. Sweden has recent history or carrying out US demands without going through parliament, and facilitating (illegal) renditions with the CIA.

Furthermore, given the existing extradition request from Sweden, a second request would complicate matters significantly and it is likely that the UK would decide to enforce the original request over a new one.

 

[Collider]

There is more public support for Assange in the UK so it would be harder to do politically. Sweden has recent history or carrying out US demands without going through parliament, and facilitating (illegal) renditions with theCIA.

Furthermore, given the existing extradition request from Sweden, a second request would complicate matters significantly and it is likely that the UK would decide to enforce the original request over a new one.

But we, one might suggest, have the same history of cooperation with the US.

Also the US could have lodged the request ages ago, he was here a while.

I don't think there is much public support for Assange here, there are a few vocal people but in general I think most people wouldn't really care less. I have absolutely no evidence for saying it but I wonder how many people even knew who he was before the Embassy thing was all over the net.

 

[Xordium]

I am just getting sick of the UK carrying the can for this whole mess. He is not wanted for crimes by us. As usual the UK gets the nasty end of the stick and has to mop the problems of the rest of the world and will be left smelling far from roses.

This is that part that annoys me. All that great work during the Olympics improving our image and sending a positive message, about this country, around the world and then this. We are struggling with our image in the South Atlantic and this really does not help.

 

[AGD]

This continually comes up despite being answered numerous times by numerous people. Read the thread.

Maybe you could point out where in the thread it would help - it's a rather long thread!

According to what I have read, there is precedent for Swedish prosecutors questioning people outside of Sweden.

 

[Xordium]

There is more public support for Assange in the UK so it would be harder to do politically. Sweden has recent history or carrying out US demands without going through parliament, and facilitating (illegal) renditions with the CIA.

Furthermore, given the existing extradition request from Sweden, a second request would complicate matters significantly and it is likely that the UK would decide to enforce the original request over a new one.

We have facilitated rendition? And I am not certain he has much support anywhere anymore although I do think he has even less in Sweden. And would we not have to sign off on any subsequent move from Sweden anyway.

 

[Collider]

Maybe you could point out where in the thread it would help - it's a rather long thread!

According to what I have read, there is precedent for Swedish prosecutors questioning people outside of Sweden.

While they may have done so (and so have we) in this case this is a man who has jumped bail and gone into hiding to avoid being questioned. On that basis its not very likely they will want to have a quick chat with him.