Live data from Hacker News

Julian Assange arrested in London

bbc.co.uk

231–240 of 1001 posts

Re: Julian Assange arrested in London

#232
post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I remember. A disgrace on several levels. I really wish a European country would have had the spine to give Snowden asylum. Not the same issue as Assange of course, unless, as Assange claims, this too is the long arm of the US secretly trying to get whistleblowers extradited. I'm not sure that's the case here, though; I think the Swedish rape allegations have merit, and unlike Snowden, I don't think Assange has…

The Swedish rape allegations were an obvious sham and have already been dropped years ago. Usually when this happens the case is just dropped, yet the UK really pressed in arresting Assange for "failing to appear in court", which is most countries is a minor thing (the accused is not punished for lying in court or missing court dates). I think it's obvious that any excuse will do for extraditing him to the US, to mak…

It's extra interesting now because the US is now led by a government that is alleged to have illegal foreign help during the election campaign, notably through Wikileaks. I don't think the current president would want Assange extradited.

Re: Julian Assange arrested in London

#233

The comments here disgust me. People here used to have some principles, now there's so many people just repeating establishment talking points.

And I can't understand how so many people stay loyal to a guy who just wasted seven years of his life in a self-imposed prison with absolutely no upside except delaying whatever awaits him now. Or how many will, when given a choice between: (a) a wild conspiracies theories about a totally-average Swedish woman being paid by the CIA to make up some not even that damning rape charges, then asks him for an $20/5min STD…

Sorry, "creepy" is a damming accusation now? That's either a poor euphemism, or a really poor accusation.

Re: Julian Assange arrested in London

#234

Julian Assange used to be hailed as a hero for exposing American hypocrisy, but with the secretive way wikileaks operated and the track record of anti-US releases, perhaps it was only a matter of time before Assange and wikileaks were used as pawns for geopolitics. Still, I'm curious when did Assange willingly start working for Russia --- was it from the very beginning, or was it after his legal troubles? I wonder wh…

You'd think that after the stupid Russian collusion story was dismantled by the recent Mueller report, people would be a little more careful with such paranoid allegations, but here we go...

Yes, but this twitter convo between WikiLeaks and Donald Trump Jr. is pretty damning. https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/930228239494209536

Re: Julian Assange arrested in London

#235
post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And I can't understand how so many people stay loyal to a guy who just wasted seven years of his life in a self-imposed prison with absolutely no upside except delaying whatever awaits him now. Or how many will, when given a choice between: (a) a wild conspiracies theories about a totally-average Swedish woman being paid by the CIA to make up some not even that damning rape charges, then asks him for an $20/5min STD…

You are delusional. You talk about him like he's your creepy neighbor from the street. This guy messed with dangerous people for the sake of truth. He is being prosecuted by the most powerful country in the world with by far the most reach outside its own borders. All his trouble began after he leaked US butchery in Iraq. You think his self-imposed exile is an egotistical act instead of what it really is: Step outsid…

The woman doesn't have "proven ties with the CIA".

According to a now-deleted article by some third-rate conspiracy theorist, she at some point during a foreign exchange in Cuba worked with (not for) a feminist organisation there, the leader of which was alleged to have ties to the CIA.

Re: Julian Assange arrested in London

#236
post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The police were arresting him for skipping bail - that's not a political asylum issue.

No, but politically persecuting Assange under pretexts is. Since (I assume) Ecuador protected him not because they oppose persecution for sexual assault, but because they believed that was a pretext for political persecution, I do not see how the circumstances have changed. Except for the Ecuadorian embassy staff reportedly getting fed up with Assange, of course.

One of the ways that things have changed is the continued illegal political campaigning whilst in the embassy that Assange is accused of. Asylum doesn't give protection against breaking the law in the host country.

Re: Julian Assange arrested in London

#238
post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I remember. A disgrace on several levels. I really wish a European country would have had the spine to give Snowden asylum. Not the same issue as Assange of course, unless, as Assange claims, this too is the long arm of the US secretly trying to get whistleblowers extradited. I'm not sure that's the case here, though; I think the Swedish rape allegations have merit, and unlike Snowden, I don't think Assange has…

The Swedish rape allegations were an obvious sham and have already been dropped years ago. Usually when this happens the case is just dropped, yet the UK really pressed in arresting Assange for "failing to appear in court", which is most countries is a minor thing (the accused is not punished for lying in court or missing court dates). I think it's obvious that any excuse will do for extraditing him to the US, to mak…

Weren’t the rape allegations dropped because the statute of limitations finally expired?

Sorry if I didn’t use the right terminology.

Re: Julian Assange arrested in London

#239
post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Skipping bail; failing to surrender to the court after he was previously released on bail. The sexual assault case against him in Sweden has since been dropped, but the warrant for skipping bail is still active.

I don't particularly classify that as a heinous crime.

It isn't heinous; it carries a maximum penalty of two years (which is actually one year, given automatic release) and normally much less than that.

The courts do, though, take a dim view of scofflaws. And especially those who successfully evade proceedings by doing so. And even more so those who put the authorities to trouble to bring them back to the court. So my guess is that there will be a trial on it, followed by a sentence in the upper end of that range.

Post reply on HN