Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extradition • Hacker News Board

Re: Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extradition

#11

Post by DanBC » Mon, May 13, 2019, 11:24 AM UTC

piokoch wrote: post #9

willvarfar wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps they are prosecuting him because he is accused of committing a crime?

It seems that the word "rape" is somehow exaggeration. Per Wikipedia (assuming it is reliable source here, hasn't checked sources it cites) "On 20 August 2010, two women, a 26-year-old living in Enköping and a 31-year-old living in Stockholm, reported to the Swedish police that Assange had engaged in unprotected sexual activity with them that violated the scope of their consent. "The next day, the case was transferre…

That's literally rape. He tried to say (in England) that it wasn't rape, and that was rejected by the court. https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2011/2849.html

He tried to claim that this wasn't rape in both Sweden and England (the dual criminality element which is required for extradition) and that was rejected by the court.

Re: Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extradition

#12

Post by labster » Mon, May 13, 2019, 11:27 AM UTC

sedeki wrote: post #7

WAHa_06x36 wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is that why they are now trying to block his extradition to the US, then.

Well, that’s new to me. Source, please.

Source is OP, please read the article.

Re: Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extradition

#13

Post by krageon » Mon, May 13, 2019, 11:28 AM UTC

acallaghan wrote: post #10

aliswe wrote: post #2

Perhaps they are prosecuting him with the intention of granting asylym afterwards. Somehow it feels like a grab.

No it's because he's a rape suspect in Sweden - it's not a giant conspiracy or 'a grab', he's just a suspect that ran away from the law. The USA have already requested his extradition in the UK - to say that "Sweden only sought rape charges because then the USA can extradite him from Sweden" is clearly bogus. If he actually confronted these charges in Sweden, and found guilty, he may actually be out of prison by now.…

> clearly bogus

It is not clearly bogus. It was a concern. The concern might be wrong, as they often are. That doesn't make it somehow not legitimate.

Re: Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extradition

#14

Post by lostjohnny » Mon, May 13, 2019, 11:28 AM UTC

benevol wrote: post #3

aliswe wrote: post #2

Perhaps they are prosecuting him with the intention of granting asylym afterwards. Somehow it feels like a grab.

I don't know why you would think that. Nothing has changed recently, has it? Sweden has been in the US' pockets for a long time, just like the other main European countries such as the UK and Germany.

That's laughable

Re: Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extradition

#15

Post by sedeki » Mon, May 13, 2019, 11:29 AM UTC

acallaghan wrote: post #10

aliswe wrote: post #2

Perhaps they are prosecuting him with the intention of granting asylym afterwards. Somehow it feels like a grab.

No it's because he's a rape suspect in Sweden - it's not a giant conspiracy or 'a grab', he's just a suspect that ran away from the law. The USA have already requested his extradition in the UK - to say that "Sweden only sought rape charges because then the USA can extradite him from Sweden" is clearly bogus. If he actually confronted these charges in Sweden, and found guilty, he may actually be out of prison by now.…

”And at the centre of all of this, that everyone seems to have forgotten, are these two women that have accused him of rape.”

As far as I know, and at least Assange has claimed this publicly in a video at least once, these two women themselves did not make rape charges against Assange.

The case was picked up by some prosecutor who initiated the charges.

Re: Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extradition

#16

Post by uddoe » Mon, May 13, 2019, 11:29 AM UTC

piokoch wrote: post #9

willvarfar wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps they are prosecuting him because he is accused of committing a crime?

It seems that the word "rape" is somehow exaggeration. Per Wikipedia (assuming it is reliable source here, hasn't checked sources it cites) "On 20 August 2010, two women, a 26-year-old living in Enköping and a 31-year-old living in Stockholm, reported to the Swedish police that Assange had engaged in unprotected sexual activity with them that violated the scope of their consent. "The next day, the case was transferre…

I assume there's no proof of this having happened at all?

Re: Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extradition

#17

Post by lostjohnny » Mon, May 13, 2019, 11:30 AM UTC

krageon wrote: post #13

acallaghan wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No it's because he's a rape suspect in Sweden - it's not a giant conspiracy or 'a grab', he's just a suspect that ran away from the law. The USA have already requested his extradition in the UK - to say that "Sweden only sought rape charges because then the USA can extradite him from Sweden" is clearly bogus. If he actually confronted these charges in Sweden, and found guilty, he may actually be out of prison by now.…

> clearly bogus It is not clearly bogus. It was a concern. The concern might be wrong, as they often are. That doesn't make it somehow not legitimate.

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.

Re: Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extradition

#18

Post by seanalltogether » Mon, May 13, 2019, 11:31 AM UTC

> “His attitude is that he is happy to cooperate with Sweden and that he wants to be interviewed and that he wants to clear his name,” Samuelson told Reuters.

He spent how many years on both UK soil and then the Ecuadorean embassy to fight these Swedish allegations and now he's "happy to cooperate". He's imprisoned himself all these years for nothing.

Re: Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extradition

#19

Post by nabla9 » Mon, May 13, 2019, 11:32 AM UTC

aliswe wrote: post #2

Perhaps they are prosecuting him with the intention of granting asylym afterwards. Somehow it feels like a grab.

That's not how rules based democracies work.

Prosecutor works independently. Sweden has civil law system based on classical Roman law and German model. There is no plea bargaining, everyone who is prosecuted must stand trial.

The investigation was just suspended because Assange could not be questioned. They bring him for questioning to get interview. After that, the prosecutor may choose not to press charges.

The case seems very weak, so the prosecutor may drop the case.

Re: Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extradition

#20

Post by colordrops » Mon, May 13, 2019, 11:33 AM UTC

acallaghan wrote: post #10

aliswe wrote: post #2

Perhaps they are prosecuting him with the intention of granting asylym afterwards. Somehow it feels like a grab.

No it's because he's a rape suspect in Sweden - it's not a giant conspiracy or 'a grab', he's just a suspect that ran away from the law. The USA have already requested his extradition in the UK - to say that "Sweden only sought rape charges because then the USA can extradite him from Sweden" is clearly bogus. If he actually confronted these charges in Sweden, and found guilty, he may actually be out of prison by now.…

If it's such a problem why don't you advocate for getting the laws changed in the US? While his alleged actions are shady, they are not illegal in the US, so anyone who plays the humanity angle without also suggesting changing US law is just using it for political purposes.