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Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

bbc.com

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Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#111

Post by raxxorrax »

geofft wrote: post #72
jaimex2 wrote: post #50

Title should really be 'US takes hand out of Swedish puppet now that its free to extradite Assange' The take away here is stay anonymous when whistle blowing or handling leaks. Don't talk to anyone, don't say anything just take a USB stick to an Internet cafe while disguised and host a torrent. Then email the press the magnet link using a throw away email service.

Er, Assange himself was the press, here. Chelsea Manning was the anonymous whistleblower who tried to keep her identity safe until Adrian Lamo (may God have mercy on his soul, because I sure won't) reported her to US authorities.

I don't want to defend Lamo, but he surely got pressure from the government and some kind of deal.

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#112

Post by homonculus1 »

trpc wrote: post #74

There were, not long ago, times when Assange was considered a saint of freedom after he exposed the corrupt Bush administration, the liberals everywhere were defending him and his case everywhere, they even made a Hollywood film about him. But he then made the mistake of his life, he exposed the corruption of the Clintons and got implicated in the Russia gate meme because Trump somehow won. Now he is totally on his o…

In fairness to the ultra liberals of HN, there is still plenty of support for Assange around here so your brush may be a touch broad.

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#113

Post by zepto »

k1m wrote: post #98
sambe wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He could leave the embassy at any time, which is where the purported damage was done. He is now in prison, where he cannot leave it any time. Melzer visited him recently in prison, thus your quote. It seems pretty clear. The parent may be lacking in nuance for his situation, but it is correct.

Melzer was asked about that. He responded: "Mr. Assange was about as free to leave as someone sitting on a rubber boat in a shark pool." - https://twitter.com/NilsMelzer/status/1134400849097220102

Generally people accused of serious crimes are not as free as the rest of us.

He has always been free to face his accusers.

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#114

Post by arrrg »

colejohnson66 wrote: post #88
pjc50 wrote: post #38

It's not torture if you can leave at any time. He wasn't being held in the embassy, he was hiding there.

Ah, the old “he was free to leave anytime” argument. No. He wasn’t. Yes, technically, he was free to leave, but arguing that is ignoring the fact that leaving would mean jail. It’s victim blaming. Would you say a victim of Stockholm Syndrome is “free to leave at any time”? No, because that’s a ridiculous argument. Would you say Snowden is “free to leave [Russia] at any time”? No! So why is it an acceptable argument w…

But that line of thinking doesn’t make sense to me …

Just for the sake of argument, say you are a bank robber who successfully barricaded yourself somewhere (really uncomfortable) where police cannot reach you. You are then free to leave at any time, but would be arrested as soon as you did.

Would you really argue that police would have to drop the case to avoid torturing you?

Your line of thinking seems to presuppose that the threat of arrest was somehow unjust, but you never really argue for that point.

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#116

Post by ceejayoz »

wolco wrote: post #104
pluma wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's literally rape. If you consent to a sex act, that doesn't mean you consent to any sex act. If you "switch holes", or "lose the condom" or simply don't put one on at all, without consent, that's a non-consensual sex act and thus rape.

If you lose the condom it doesn't make it rape. It makes you a loser who will probably be a social outcast. If you agreed before to kiss for 10 minutes but stop after 5 it doesn't make it rape either. If the person asks you to stop and you refuse that's rape. If she finishes first and asks you to stop and you continue that is rape. But you don't need to have a detailed conversation agreeing to everything beforehand.…

If you agree to "we can have sex if you wear a condom" and then secretly take off the condom, that's rape. The sex being had was not consensual.

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#117

Post by celticninja »

olalonde wrote: post #63
Aser wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He's served that time already. He's now being held awaiting extradition to the US.

> The 48-year-old Australian was evicted in April and sentenced to 50 weeks in jail for breaching his bail conditions. Still a couple of months to go (April + 50 weeks = ~March).

He was due to be released on 22 September after serving his sentence for breaching bail conditions.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49689167

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#118

Post by [deleted] »

arrrg wrote: post #114
colejohnson66 wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah, the old “he was free to leave anytime” argument. No. He wasn’t. Yes, technically, he was free to leave, but arguing that is ignoring the fact that leaving would mean jail. It’s victim blaming. Would you say a victim of Stockholm Syndrome is “free to leave at any time”? No, because that’s a ridiculous argument. Would you say Snowden is “free to leave [Russia] at any time”? No! So why is it an acceptable argument w…

But that line of thinking doesn’t make sense to me … Just for the sake of argument, say you are a bank robber who successfully barricaded yourself somewhere (really uncomfortable) where police cannot reach you. You are then free to leave at any time, but would be arrested as soon as you did. Would you really argue that police would have to drop the case to avoid torturing you? Your line of thinking seems to presuppos…

[deleted]

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#119

Post by k1m »

solipsism wrote: post #101
colejohnson66 wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah, the old “he was free to leave anytime” argument. No. He wasn’t. Yes, technically, he was free to leave, but arguing that is ignoring the fact that leaving would mean jail. It’s victim blaming. Would you say a victim of Stockholm Syndrome is “free to leave at any time”? No, because that’s a ridiculous argument. Would you say Snowden is “free to leave [Russia] at any time”? No! So why is it an acceptable argument w…

Either there's a rule of law or there's not. You can't hide from the police and then claim that the very act of hiding is an act of torture enacted on you by the police.

You're assuming he had a lot of choice in the matter and that the UN didn't take that into account. Nils Melzer when asked about it responded: "Mr. Assange was about as free to leave as someone sitting on a rubber boat in a shark pool." - https://twitter.com/NilsMelzer/status/1134400849097220102

Also, as far as I'm aware, Assange didn't claim he was tortured, the UN experts on torture came to that conclusion.

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#120

Post by raxxorrax »

solipsism wrote: post #101
colejohnson66 wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah, the old “he was free to leave anytime” argument. No. He wasn’t. Yes, technically, he was free to leave, but arguing that is ignoring the fact that leaving would mean jail. It’s victim blaming. Would you say a victim of Stockholm Syndrome is “free to leave at any time”? No, because that’s a ridiculous argument. Would you say Snowden is “free to leave [Russia] at any time”? No! So why is it an acceptable argument w…

Either there's a rule of law or there's not. You can't hide from the police and then claim that the very act of hiding is an act of torture enacted on you by the police.

The rule of law is followed to the letter by state actors as everyone knows...
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