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Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

bbc.com

451–460 of 784 posts

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#451

What a weird statment. How can a country decide to drop a crime against its citizen. Shouldn't the person who got raped be deciding that.

In most European countries, the state prosecutor decides who to charge with a crime, regardless what purported victims think.

It might be a bit foreign, but it does help with some cases, like partner violence, where the victim might not want to press charges against a violent partner. Under this model, if the police learns of the crime, they are obliged to prosecute it if possible.

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#452
post #443

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You quote: > “Mr. Assange has been deliberately exposed, for a period of several years, to progressively severe forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the cumulative effects of which can only be described as psychological torture.“ That quote lacked information on who was exposing him and what that exposure actually was, so I followed your source. That source elaborates as follows: > “In the co…

I don’t understand. He stayed in the Ecuadorian embassy to avoid arrest. His conditions are self-imposed.

Another take, with no more or less evidence as far as I can tell: He essentially had no choice, as it was obvious he was going to be railroaded at any trial, and would likely be bounced to the US at some point.

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#453
post #365

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You quote: > “Mr. Assange has been deliberately exposed, for a period of several years, to progressively severe forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the cumulative effects of which can only be described as psychological torture.“ That quote lacked information on who was exposing him and what that exposure actually was, so I followed your source. That source elaborates as follows: > “In the co…

I don't know how to respond to this. UN experts on human rights have looked into his situation and been quite alarmed by it. I can't think of a group of people more respected in the field of human rights than the experts at the UN. And yet there are commenters here on HN who, I don't know on what basis, write that it's all mostly "hyperbole".

The UN Human Rights Council had Saudi Arabia as a member. I can't imagine how anyone would respect them.

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#454
post #321

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What makes you think making up charges and constantly threatening to destroy you are not extremely stressful. He has a family too that he's been unable to see properly for a long while. Is his only current crime skipping bail on charges he believed were fake? Clearly, facing deportation to the US is problematic for a number of reasons, mostly that it's impossible for even Snowden to get a fair trial there, let alone…

Skipping bail on charges he believe were fake is a crime, yes. If we was so sure of the charges being fake then he should have let them judge him.

That might make sense if one believed they were accused of fake charges by a private person, and are to be judged by an impartial legal system.

It makes no sense if one believes that they were accused of fake charges based on political pressure and are to be judged on a rigged legal system.

It would be like if J.E.Hoover had his eyes on you, had his police build some BS charges, and made sure (whether by police planting evidence, fake testimonies, etc or by having his judge pals on the case too) you'll be convicted.

Would you take your chances to have the case judged?

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#455
post #418

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are plenty of arrested, but not convicted, prisoners in city and county jails in the US. Often for months or longer.

Yes, but not the two million mentioned.

It looks like aprox. 500,000 according to this article from 2016: https://www.thenation.com/article/almost-half-a-million-peop...

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#456
post #418

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are plenty of arrested, but not convicted, prisoners in city and county jails in the US. Often for months or longer.

Yes, but not the two million mentioned.

It's close to 500k on an average day. https://www.americasquarterly.org/aborn-prisons

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#458

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You quote: > “Mr. Assange has been deliberately exposed, for a period of several years, to progressively severe forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the cumulative effects of which can only be described as psychological torture.“ That quote lacked information on who was exposing him and what that exposure actually was, so I followed your source. That source elaborates as follows: > “In the co…

> "arbitrary confinement in the Ecuadorian embassy, to his oppressive isolation, harassment and surveillance inside the embassy, and from deliberate collective ridicule, insults and humiliation" Not only hyperbole, but it's entirely self-imposed. He wasn't confined to the embassy, he chose to stay there rather than face trial. He chose "deliberate collective ridicule, insults and humiliation" over defending himself a…

“Come out and we will tell you what you’re guilty of”.

The US was once a great defender of liberty and democrac, but when you talk to its average citizen nowaday you start to get truely weimarian vibes.

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#459

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> it is stealing I would disagree (although it is closer to the definition of thieft than stealing data is as you lose the ability to withdraw the money). > That translates to "technically she stole classified documents and betrayed her country that she swore to protect." No, it doesn't. The "court" could as well say "the sun rotates around earth and the moon is made out of cheese", it would not make it correct. > un…

First of all, sorry, but I'm Italian and I don;t get all the nuances. The difference between stealing and theft was unknown to me. Secondly: no, it's not guilty until proven innocent, Manning has been proven guilty, she never denied of illegally obtaining those documents. third: in this case Manning confessed. There's no much debate we can do about it. fourth: no, I don't put any particular fate on courts, is just ho…

> The difference between stealing and theft was unknown to me.

Feel free to read it as "I would disagree (although it is closer to the definition of stealing than 'stealing data' is as you lose the ability to withdraw the money)." -- I was not implying that there are differences between stealing and theft.

> Manning has been proven guilty, she never denied of illegally obtaining those documents.

> third: in this case Manning confessed. There's no much debate we can do about it.

I was talking about the general case, not specifically about Manning

> is just how the system works

I did not know that the courts can magically bend the laws of nature at will.

> And after that people would say "he's a sex offender" not "the court said he's a sex offender".

Well, the people would be wrong.

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#460

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Stallman was saying the exact opposite of what you believe he said. > He was arguing that rape is rape, even if in different states they have different laws. It was while he was defending Minsky and he was actually arguing that sex does not magically become rape depending on the country that you do it. > It is rape, she said no, he forced her, it is rape. He did not force her though. He had consent to have sex with…

Wait. If someone consents to sex with a condom, then the condom is tampered with, that violates the consent. If I, a man, agree to have sex with a woman after we both agree to use a condom, but I find out that she knowingly punctured the condom, I didn't consent to that.

Sure, and it should be illegal (especially if she knows that she has a sexually transmitted disease), but it is far from rape.

If you consent to have sex with a woman as long as she promises to not cheat on you and she breaks that promise, is that rape? I would claim that it is not.

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