Julian Assange arrested in London • Hacker News Board

Re: Julian Assange arrested in London

#751

Post by whamlastxmas » Thu, Apr 11, 2019, 3:14 PM UTC

pdabbadabba wrote: post #651

rofo1 wrote: post #519

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> He went from an unsympathetic yet credible figure to one that's hard to side with for virtually anyone. The MO is shoot the messenger. As old as the hills. We aren't discussing what Wikileaks leaked anymore. We are discussing Julian Assange's cats. See how they shifted our attention? That's the power of a propaganda - eventually, it will work. They just have to keep at it, and they did. Nobody even disputed what wa…

> We aren't discussing what Wikileaks leaked anymore. We are discussing Julian Assange's cats. See how they shifted our attention? That's the power of a propaganda - eventually, it will work. They just have to keep at it, and they did. This is only true, if at all, today, on this forum. The mainstream press has been talking about Hillary's emails (and how they were obtained, and other fallout) for literally years now…

Look at my comment history for a recent example of a thread talking endlessly about cats and assange being an alleged rude house guest. it's constantly misdirected on reddit too.

Re: Julian Assange arrested in London

#752

Post by dragonwriter » Thu, Apr 11, 2019, 3:14 PM UTC

mc32 wrote: post #634

Mvandenbergh wrote: post #91

It will be interesting to see if the US tries to extradite him. It's actually not 100% clear that he's broken any US laws in any ways that they aren't also routinely broken by newspapers. There's a few avenues: 1) Publishing classified information. Easy to show that he did this but a very difficult path to go down when American newspapers do this all the time. 2) Conspiracy to commit espionage. Probably the most like…

Looks like the indictment is conspiracy with Manning. Manning was pardoned[1] by the Obama admin. Does that have any bearing on Assange’s case? [1] I’ve been corrected; her sentence was commuted.

Even had Manning been pardoned it would have no bearing whatsoever.

Re: Julian Assange arrested in London

#753

Post by ShorsHammer » Thu, Apr 11, 2019, 3:15 PM UTC

becauseiam wrote: post #375

djsumdog wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wish Australia would step up and actually defend one of their citizens.

He is a dual national now, which only complicates any attempt, Australia's connection with Five-eyes and other military and political arrangements aside.

When has that complicated anything? Being a dual citizen is a huge benefit everywhere on Earth. For anyone with enough resources and time I'd encourage collecting citizenships like they were Pokemon.

Re: Julian Assange arrested in London

#754

Post by scoutt » Thu, Apr 11, 2019, 3:16 PM UTC

Feeding my imagination for downvotes:

UK: we need a delay for the Brexit!

Puppeteer of the world: and what's in there for us?

UK: mmmm, let me think. OK, we'll give you Assange!

Puppeteer of the world: that's a deal.

Re: Julian Assange arrested in London

#755

Post by fixermark » Thu, Apr 11, 2019, 3:16 PM UTC

panarky wrote: post #746

madez wrote: post #466

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For those who prefer the original source: http://news.met.police.uk/news/update-arrest-of-julian-assan...

The actual indictment: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/press-release/file/1153481... Snowden: The weakness of the US charge against Assange is shocking. The allegation he tried (and failed?) to help crack a password during their world-famous reporting has been public for nearly a decade: it is the count Obama's DOJ refused to charge, saying it endangered journalism. https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/11163365508733…

If Assange gets extradited on a charge that the previous administration wouldn't push but the administration his organization assisted in getting elected is willing to (because they don't care about such a paltry thing as "endangering the protections provided to freedom of the press by the US Constitution"), it will be the highest of ironies.

Re: Julian Assange arrested in London

#756

Post by jcriddle4 » Thu, Apr 11, 2019, 3:18 PM UTC

empath75 wrote: post #307

Mvandenbergh wrote: post #91

It will be interesting to see if the US tries to extradite him. It's actually not 100% clear that he's broken any US laws in any ways that they aren't also routinely broken by newspapers. There's a few avenues: 1) Publishing classified information. Easy to show that he did this but a very difficult path to go down when American newspapers do this all the time. 2) Conspiracy to commit espionage. Probably the most like…

I think the criminal argument is that he was acting as a cutout for Russian intelligence with the dnc leaks.

There is no evidence that there are any charges related to Russia. In theory it is long standing legal theory that publishing "stolen" docs is legal. Now I suspect in people's hatred for Assange they will overlook the fact that if this new legal theory is allowed to stand that the first amendment is effectively destroyed. The government will be able to label something secret and getting access to the secret is now a crime. Free to publish but not free to receive information. Catch 22.

Re: Julian Assange arrested in London

#757

Post by tim333 » Thu, Apr 11, 2019, 3:18 PM UTC

objektif wrote: post #617

It is mind blowing to see commenters here that claim Assange is a Russian asset.

I didn't think of that till you mentioned it but he does seem to have been hanging out with the Russians https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/21/julian-assange...

Re: Julian Assange arrested in London

#758

Post by snvzz » Thu, Apr 11, 2019, 3:19 PM UTC

Stuckinsofa wrote: post #148

snvzz wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The "moral" course of events would be for him to receive a fair trial in the UK or Sweden concerning the rape and possibly the contempt of court charges. Charges (which were ridiculous to begin with) were dropped. >The "immoral" course of evens would be if he was extradited to the US or some other country, receive an unfair trial, or having to defend against other charges. That's horrible, but what I expect. Extradi…

Why were the charges ridiculous?

Sweden's laws on "sexual misconduct" are extremely backwards.

Do not quote me on this, but I recall it was something along the lines of "he touched me while I was asleep after we had sex".

Re: Julian Assange arrested in London

#759

Post by Navarr » Thu, Apr 11, 2019, 3:19 PM UTC

PatrolX wrote: post #736

Navarr wrote: post #607

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"5 years." Isn't he facing 10 years in UK for fleeing on bail? Does US extradite him, trial him, (jail him?) and then ship him off to the UK to serve his time there?

Plus the 7 years of self-imprisonment in an embassy that he already served.

I'm not sure any judge will treat being on the lam as time served, but yes.

Re: Julian Assange arrested in London

#760

Post by whamlastxmas » Thu, Apr 11, 2019, 3:20 PM UTC

Tomte wrote: post #654

garmaine wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The state prosecutor accused him of being a rapist. The alleged victim didn't accuse him of anything and only went to the police in an attempt to contact him to tell him to be tested for STDs since the condom broke. The state prosecutor found a way to twist that into a rape charge under Sweden's laws, even though the purported victim disagreed. Those charges were later dropped. The only "crime" he committed was refus…

> The alleged victim didn't accuse him of anything and only went to the police in an attempt to contact him to tell him to be tested for STDs since the condom broke. Strange how her lawyer today told the press that the victim hopes that Sweden re-opens the rape case. Definitely no ill will towards Assange, only concern for his health.

Strange that she's retained lawyer for 7 years over a broken condom and she's still instructing her lawyer to speak to the press. It's almost as though she's getting financial backing for this.