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Sweden drops Julian Assange rape investigation

bbc.co.uk

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Re: Sweden drops Julian Assange rape investigation

#81

Post by robhu »

grabcocque wrote: post #45
wbhart wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can seeking asylum be used as a reason for bringing charges against someone? As far as I understand, exercising legal options cannot ever be interpreted as an illegal act. I think it's much more likely the UK will pick Assange up on behalf of the US, who have threatened to charge him.

IANAL, but fleeing from an arrest warrant is very definitely illegal in the UK.

Yes, he would be looking at 12 months in prison for that http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/a_to_c/bail/#a32

I'm not sure why the parent thinks he would be looking at 10 years?

Re: Sweden drops Julian Assange rape investigation

#82

Post by forvelin »

r721 wrote: post #49

David Allen Green‏, Law and policy commentator at @FT: >It is now easier for US to obtain Assange's extradition, if they (ever) wanted it. >Now only UK's consent required, not UK and Sweden. https://twitter.com/davidallengreen/status/86550564980685619...

Also he is still not free, UK made it clear that they would arrest him in first opportunity.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ecuador-sweden-assange-bri...

Re: Sweden drops Julian Assange rape investigation

#83

Post by codedokode »

ginko wrote: post #44
k-mcgrady wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure about 'secret charges' but there are these recent charges. [1] [1] http://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/20/politics/julian-assange-wi...

What base do these have? Assange isn't a US citizen, so he can't be charged for treason like Snowden and Manning. He just gained information and published it.

There were many cases when USA kidnapped citizens of other countries and put them to jail.

Re: Sweden drops Julian Assange rape investigation

#84

Post by mihular »

Numberwang wrote: post #69
gregman1 wrote: post #62

That is very very bad for Sweden because it proves that it was a low class political game so Sweden cannot be viewed as an independent state.

No it does not prove any such thing.

Of course it does. Not wanting to interview him, not having any valid evidence, dubious victims, etc.

Re: Sweden drops Julian Assange rape investigation

#85

Post by tremon »

Avalyst wrote: post #76
maaaats wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The defendant could choose not to answer any questions, so would it change anything?

It's one of the fundamentals of the Swedish legal system, you can't be sentenced in your absence or at least not without being heard

That does not limit the amount of evidence that can be collected.

Re: Sweden drops Julian Assange rape investigation

#86

Post by matt4077 »

Sephr wrote: post #14

What about the secret US charges? I honestly don't understand how in our democracy there is even such a concept as "secret charges". It just sounds mind-bogglingly corrupt and out of place.

Don't you need to charge someone with a crime for an arrest warrant (except for "material witness" and other shenanigans)?

Because, in that case, wouldn't you want to keep that information under wraps in quite a few cases, and completely legitimately? Preparing to arrest a foreign drug dealer when he's expected to come to the US comes to mind.

Just because it's "secret" doesn't make an evil conspiracy against democracy. The accused's rights are protected at trial, where the public cannot be excluded except in extreme circumstances. But they don't get to watch the investigations on C-SPAN.

Re: Sweden drops Julian Assange rape investigation

#87

Post by belorn »

rmc wrote: post #58
belorn wrote: post #52

It should be noted that the prosecutor had three options: 1: Drop the charges. 2: Drop the arrest order but continue the investigation. To do so require a plan which would progress the investigation. 3: Charge Assange with rape, arguing that the evidence collected so far is enough for a case. And we got the first option, and thus we can conclude that the prosecutor don't have enough evidence to go to court and have n…

Well if you cannot question the accused, it sort of limits what evidence you can collect...

That question was tested by the Swedish court, and they found that the prosecutor was able to continue the investigation by questioning Assange in the embassy through an agreement between the Ecuador and Sweden. This decision to drop the case was partial because of the result of that interview.

Re: Sweden drops Julian Assange rape investigation

#88

Post by Avalyst »

_lbaq wrote: post #19
tray5 wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I meant the justification for dropping it from the Swedes

Its a verdict in the Supreme court that regulates how long you can keep warrant for detention out that lead to this, but I'm not an lawyer so there maybe details to this that I miss.

Do you have a source for this verdict?

Re: Sweden drops Julian Assange rape investigation

#89

Post by erikb »

Darthy wrote: post #53
hardlianotion wrote: post #9

Not sure where this leaves him. He is wanted by UK police for skipping bail. Presumably his US concerns still complicate his living arrangements for now.

Since he skipped bail for something which is now dropped, doesn't that move back up and nullify his wanted status as well? Or is there a process that he could now start, like "remove my wanted status because there is no point now", and that would then get decided by some organization?

Well, in most countries there's a legal way to fight a legal action you consider incorrect. Fighting the legal action in another way is a new crime. It's like if someone owes you money, you cannot go and rob him. Even if your payment claim is considered valid robbing is illegal.

Re: Sweden drops Julian Assange rape investigation

#90

Post by notahacker »

coldtea wrote: post #8
tray5 wrote: post #3

Anyone know why they dropped it?

Because it was a shady "character assassination" attempt without real standing in the first place... "*The woman of whom Mr. Assange is accused of the offence of "lesser rape" (a technical term in Swedish law) sent an SMS to a friend saying that she "did not want to accuse JA [of] anything" and "it was the police who made up the charges". The other woman tweeted in 2013 that she had never been raped. Both women’s tes…

Strangely, the women's lawyers had a slightly different view of their desire to pursue the matter through the court than the Assange campaign to prevent the matter going to trial.

It stretches credulity to argue that responsibility for the affair lies more with the "big powers" than the decision of two apparently major fans to report him to the police after comparing notes on his sexual behaviour. And suggesting the "bad apple" most at fault for the whole affair is somehow the second prosecutor to look at the case is just unhinged.

Ultimately it was pursued then dropped then pursued then dropped because murky allegations of sexual impropriety are difficult to make up stand up in court, even when the alleged perpetrator isn't an articulate celebrity with an excellent defence team and the accusers desperately want him off the streets. If the state wanted to railroad Assange, he'd have been in jail a lot quicker on much more straightforward charges without the opportunity to change jurisdictions and identify new angles to try to dismiss the whole thing on a technicality.

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