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Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extradition

reuters.com

231–240 of 377 posts

Re: Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extradition

#231
post #223
post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

16000 people going through these fairly mundane bit of EU legal procedures. Some of them will have done worse things, but many of them will have done much less worse things (like the aforementioned chicken theft. What international manhunt? Man runs into embassy escaping bail - police wait outside. What other outcome could there have been?

So the actual number of extradition requests for alleged sleep-sex-offenders could actually be 0, you didn't even check in detail? This is quite anti-climatic. Alternative outcome: the brits spare 16m £, which they can then invest in fighting real crime. They arrest the alleged offender when flying or at any routine control, since he's not a danger to anyone. Anyone except those unmasked by the leaks.

I'm not sure why you're trying to hand-wave this away by using language like "alleged sleep-sex-offenders" and "having sex with their sleeping sex partner without a condom". If this falls under the definition of rape in Sweden then the extradition request is for just that - a charge of rape. This is a very serious crime. Whether you agree with their definition or not doesn't really affect the legality or validity of the request.

If you think these charges are bogus because of some grander conspiracy against a personal hero of yours just say, there are plenty of others in this thread who'll gladly back you up.

Re: Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extradition

#232
post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see no indication that this was “weaponized.” Assange was wanted for questioning in Sweden. He was in the UK and would have been arrested and extradited. This is all completely normal . It went off the rails when he sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy, which was his own choice. Supposedly he did this because he was afraid that he’d be hauled off to Guantanamo Bay or whatever, but that doesn’t seem to be the cas…

The timing of the Swedish charge is very noteworthy. The charge and extradition request was made shortly after the release of the US diplomatic cables.

The diplomatic cables were released November 28 2010. The international arrest warrant November 18 2010. Before that other documents had been released, during the course of almost a year. So, the way I see it there is nothing really special about the timeline here. It is interesting that a lot of people seem to think that he should not be held responsible (or at least investigated) for the crimes he might have committed against the women.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_diplomatic_cable...

Re: Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extradition

#233
post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't say "always". For example, he left Sweden the day before he was due to be interviewed with a view to arrest. It should also be noted that Assange was finally interviewed in 2016 by Ingrid Isgren.

That's not how I remember it at all. Assange left Sweden because the allegations had been dismissed by prosecutors. He didn't run from Swedish justice, quite the opposite, he hung around longer than necessary until he was told there was no further business to be done. It was only once he was in the UK that Sweden decided, for no obvious reason at all, that the allegations maybe weren't bogus after all.

This was not true.

https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/Misc/2011/5.html

> In cross-examination the Swedish lawyer confirmed that paragraph 13 of his proof of evidence is wrong... He then confirmed that on 22nd September 2010 at 16.46 he has a message from Ms Ny saying: “Hello – it is possible to have an interview Tuesday”. Next there was a message saying: “Thanks for letting me know. We will pursue Tuesday 28th at 1700”. He then accepted that there must have been a text from him.

Assange left the country on the 27th.

Re: Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extradition

#234
post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't say "always". For example, he left Sweden the day before he was due to be interviewed with a view to arrest. It should also be noted that Assange was finally interviewed in 2016 by Ingrid Isgren.

That's not how I remember it at all. Assange left Sweden because the allegations had been dismissed by prosecutors. He didn't run from Swedish justice, quite the opposite, he hung around longer than necessary until he was told there was no further business to be done. It was only once he was in the UK that Sweden decided, for no obvious reason at all, that the allegations maybe weren't bogus after all.

The timeline given in this 2012 summary suggests that the allegations weren't dismissed before he left, but rather were still in a "we'd like to talk to you more" stage: https://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/media/2012/09/legal-mytho...

EDIT: I found this timeline from the Swedish Prosecution Authority which seems to agree with that: https://www.aklagare.se/en/news-and-press/media/the-assange-...

Re: Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extradition

#235
post #220
post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This recent development in English law strikes me as inhuman. It turns the kissing of a sleeping lover into a violent sexual assault. Passion and spontaneity become criminalized.

The observable goal of these policies is maximal license for women's sexuality and maximal suppression of men's sexuality. This isn't a normative statement, it's a descriptive one, so please don't take offense and if my description is incorrect then provide examples of, say, a woman being convicted of rape because she lied about being on birth control.

How is it suppressing the male sexuality? Do you honestly think it is a normal part of the male sexuality to have sex with unconcious women/men?

Re: Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extradition

#236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see no indication that this was “weaponized.” Assange was wanted for questioning in Sweden. He was in the UK and would have been arrested and extradited. This is all completely normal . It went off the rails when he sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy, which was his own choice. Supposedly he did this because he was afraid that he’d be hauled off to Guantanamo Bay or whatever, but that doesn’t seem to be the cas…

> I see no indication that this was “weaponized.” Then you haven't been following this story very closely. A few brief examples: (1) The case was closed before he left Sweden. (2) They could have questioned him remotely, which they often do, but declined to. (3) The women didn't even want to charge him. (4) There is a USA extradition order in place. How can you doubt the USA wants to extradite him? (5) This isn't "ra…

>This isn't "rape" by any standard definition.

Yes it is. He engaged in sex with partners without their consent. That is the definition of rape.

Re: Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extradition

#237
post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And while it doesn't change the ethical and moral landscape around his alleged actions, people should be aware that what he is accused of is not illegal in the US.

Penetration of a sleeping person without consent is definitely illegal in the US, even if you had consensual sex the night before.

Not in Ohio. There is a marital exception for certain acts that would constitute rape anywhere else, like drugging your spouse and then raping them.

https://www.toledoblade.com/opinion/editorials/2019/04/21/st...

Re: Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extradition

#238

Would the people who argue that the described situation was not rape please remember that it actually is under swedish law and the situation in your own jurisdiction is irrelevant here?

If Swedish law used the word arson to describe the situation, would you accept that term and call Assange an arsonist?

As a commentator, I am not beholden to novel terminology used elsewhere, let alone in a country that doesn’t even use English as their primary national language.

Re: Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extradition

#239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel sad, because this is not the right debate to have, and I initiated it. First, I repeat: What he allegedly did is a serious and horrible crime. Also, people need to see the elephant in the room. These two victims' case is weaponized by some governments to scare whistle-blowers. Assange directly or indirectly exposed many horrible crimes, including war rapes, group rapes, mass murders. People need to remember th…

It has to be said that many other journalists who reported on war crimes (including collaborating with Wikileaks on Manning stories) are entirely safe and well and have not been accused of rape.

The US hasn't asked for their extradition for conspiracy either, and yet they have for Assange. Unless being accused of raping women in Sweden causes the US to do that, there must also be some other difference between Assange and those other journalists.

Re: Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extradition

#240

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if it was true, what's wrong with that? He would be sent to USA to respond of his alleged crimes in front of a public court of justice.

>He would be sent to USA to respond of his alleged crimes in front of a public court of justice. Haha, no. He'd be sent to a secret FISA Star Chamber. There's no way he'd be tried in public. And if the Swedish authorities wanted Assange to answer for alleged crimes in Sweden, all they had to do was publicly declare that they wouldn't extradite Assange to the US. That was the sole requirement he had made of the Swedis…

> He'd be sent to a secret FISA Star Chamber.

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review only are empowered to handle foreign intelligence surveillance warrant process.

Criminal charges are handled in US District Courts, and are Constitutionally guaranteed to be public.

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