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Sweden drops Julian Assange rape investigation

bbc.co.uk

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Re: Sweden drops Julian Assange rape investigation

#231

Post by nebabyte »

appleflaxen wrote: post #120
chx wrote: post #39

Is there a good article -- does even anyone know? -- on how did Wikileaks turn from a whistleblower into a mouthpiece of the Kremlin? Edit: some examples: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/war_stories/... https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2017/03/...

i think assange is a victim of an effective smear campaign, probably organized by the CIA. He addresses this specific issue in his reddit AMA: https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/5n58sm/i_am_julian_as...

It's a fair point - I don't see how ad hominem attacks change the news.

I guess that's why painting him as a russian sympathizer is "in" now. Makes it seem like the leaks even if authentic have some agenda.

But still, parties and a gov that are threatened by their people looking in on them are just asking to be influenced by outside actors anyways, state or not. There's a reason transparency is key.

Re: Sweden drops Julian Assange rape investigation

#232

Post by baldajan »

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...

He was indeed questioned at the Ecuadorian Embassy [1]. And before that, for years, Assange gave them that offer, but they refused time and time again (until they relentlessly accepted) [2].

[1] http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ecuador-sweden-assange-idU...

[2] "He has offered to be questioned inside the embassy but the Swedish prosecutors only recently agreed." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/11/ecuador-to-let-sw...

Re: Sweden drops Julian Assange rape investigation

#233

Post by baldajan »

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...

He was indeed questioned at the Ecuadorian Embassy [1]. And before that, for years, Assange gave them that offer, but they refused time and time again (until they relentlessly accepted) [2].

[1] http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ecuador-sweden-assange-idU...

[2] "He has offered to be questioned inside the embassy but the Swedish prosecutors only recently agreed." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/11/ecuador-to-let-sw...

Re: Sweden drops Julian Assange rape investigation

#234

Post by nebabyte »

nailer wrote: post #169
jmkni wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When Assange was studying his PhD in the US (Bill Clinton was president at the time) the funding for his research was suddenly cut by the US Government, and he was never told why. He's held a grudge against the US Government since then.

Losing your funding is one thing, but Hillary Clinton allegedly requested Julian Assange be killed. It's unproven one way or the other, here's the Snopes article: http://www.snopes.com/julian-assange-drone-strike/

> Hillary Clinton allegedly requested that Julian Assange be killed

Politicians have the weirdest rider lists

Re: Sweden drops Julian Assange rape investigation

#235

Post by harry8 »

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...

It's always a good thing to bring cases like this into some kind of context to see the extent to which it's the rule of law or something else. Julian Assange may be a rapist but a prosecutor thought there wasn't enough to even say maybe don't leave the country. Roman Polanski may not be a child rapist but I'm not even sure he arguing that. [1]

How would you characterise the difference in the treatment of these gentlemen and I use the word gentlemen quite wrongly.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Polanski

Re: Sweden drops Julian Assange rape investigation

#236

Post by nebabyte »

cjrp wrote: post #180
baby wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> how did Wikileaks turn from a whistleblower into a mouthpiece of the Kremlin? Examples are not proof. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence

He hosted a show on Russia Today; he was literally a mouthpiece of the Kremlin.

If seeking a platform makes you a mouthpiece, then ISIS is just a mouthpiece for Twitter.

Re: Sweden drops Julian Assange rape investigation

#237

Post by boomboomsubban »

iddqd wrote: post #193
k__ wrote: post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Didn't they setup fake accusations to destroy his reputation and make it easier to let the US imprison him? I thought this all was pretty obvious :/

The rape victim is still holding on to these "fake" accusations even after 7 years. Strange eh?

Not really. If the accusations are true they'd hold on to them, and if they are false they'd likely face consequences on dropping them.

Re: Sweden drops Julian Assange rape investigation

#238

Post by baldajan »

Reading the comments, many people seem unaware that Assange was indeed interviewed by Swedish prosecutors in London [1]. And before that, for years, Assange gave them that offer, but they refused time and time again (until they reluctantly accepted) [2].

As @belorn noted [3], the prosecutors had 3 options, and given it seems like they didn't have enough to make a case or a plan to continue the investigation, it had to be dropped.

Also note, that the UN has sided with Assange. As the confinement in the Embassy is confinement. And he's been unjustly confined for a longer period than the maximum penalty for rape in Sweden [4].

[1] http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ecuador-sweden-assange-idU...

[2] "He has offered to be questioned inside the embassy but the Swedish prosecutors only recently agreed." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/11/ecuador-to-let-sw...

[3] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14374161

[4] https://www.rt.com/news/368746-un-ruling-free-assange/

Re: Sweden drops Julian Assange rape investigation

#239

Post by cjrp »

nebabyte wrote: post #236
cjrp wrote: post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He hosted a show on Russia Today; he was literally a mouthpiece of the Kremlin.

If seeking a platform makes you a mouthpiece, then ISIS is just a mouthpiece for Twitter.

ISIS aren't employed by Twitter. It's completely different.

Re: Sweden drops Julian Assange rape investigation

#240

Post by k1m »

cmdkeen wrote: post #124
toyg wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But now the UK government can surrender that right to prosecute him if they want to. The political responsibility is pretty clear at this point.

Why? He had the opportunity to appeal all the way to the UK Supreme Court who ruled that the extradition request was valid. Those who pledged surety over his bail were ordered to pay £93,500 back in 2012. This absolutely should not be about politics but about the rule of law. There is a serious point as well that bail needs to be enforced otherwise its effectiveness is reduced, which in turn makes it easier for the a…

Applying for asylum is also part of the rule of law. It was granted based on real concerns. Since backed up by UN legal experts who found in his favour.
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