Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation • Hacker News Board

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#381

Post by nemo » Tue, Nov 19, 2019, 4:13 PM UTC

k1m wrote: post #357

nemo wrote: post #322

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He fled justice to hide in an embassy. He was fully free to leave, and should have faced justice from the start. Fugitives from justice do not enjoy pleasant conditions - that's not a strike against liberty, but a necessary condition of the rule of law.

I find it remarkable that so many here feel they are in a better position to assess whether Assange's human rights have been violated than experts on the topic at the UN who've spent considerable time looking into his situation.

Appealing to authority is a lot less persuasive when it's a non-binding report from a minor working group. I read their account. It was poorly argued and inconsistent. Should we really accept a case that's made because of the authority making the argument rather than the argument itself?

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#382

Post by WrtCdEvrydy » Tue, Nov 19, 2019, 4:13 PM UTC

mariorossi666 wrote: post #272

Miner49er wrote: post #244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He always maintained he didn't face the charges in Sweden for fear of being extradited to the U.S. For sexual assault he'd likely already be getting out of prison in Sweden, or at least be very close. Extradition to the U.S. has always been the real threat to him. The fact that he's facing extradition now proves it was a valid concern. Even if the Swedes were honestly just trying to get him for sexual assault, he was…

> He always maintained he didn't face the charges in Sweden for fear of being extradited to the U.S. Yeah... not really. He's guilty of being a dick to women and is finally paying for it. According to court transcripts, Assange said he “wanted to impregnate women” and “preferred virgins because he would be the first to impregnate them”. He also reportedly told one of his alleged victims that “Sweden is a good country…

> being a dick to women

I'll take things that are not crimes being used as proof of a crime for 1000, Alex.

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#383

Post by iudqnolq » Tue, Nov 19, 2019, 4:13 PM UTC

toyg wrote: post #138

Roark66 wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If he is released from UK jail he can hop onto a ferry and go to mainland EU. There he could travel to anywhere within the Shengen zone. I'm not sure about western countries, but Poland(as well as other eastern countries I believe) will not extradite anyone anywhere unless the crime is also considered a crime here, there is no possibility of death penalty, and there is strong evidence submitted that makes a convictio…

Poland, like all Eastern states, is desperate for US military assistance to stay around to deal with Russia, so they will just reply "how high?" when asked to jump by any American administration. This is particularly true now that their executive carries a certain disdain for the legislative branch and the rule of law. The hard truth is that Assange won't be free nor safe anywhere in Europe. The tactical and propagan…

China isn't noticeably more secretive about their violations of human rights law that Russia. Oh wait, I forgot Assange was a complete hypocrite...

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#384

Post by authoritarian » Tue, Nov 19, 2019, 4:14 PM UTC

solipsism wrote: post #363

authoritarian wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Part of the rule of law is that laws must be just and impartial. The laws and actions of the Third Reich obviously did not have that quality. The two situations aren't remotely comparable. But you probably know that, you're just trolling.

Throughout history it's been very clearly demonstrated that laws are not always just and impartial. I'd even go so far as to argue that there has never been a time in history where all laws were just and impartial. Having a difference of opinion doesn't automatically make the other person a troll, and acting like that's the case doesn't lead to productive discourse

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#385

Post by papito » Tue, Nov 19, 2019, 4:14 PM UTC

counterpig wrote: post #336

ckastner wrote: post #318

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…

The charges from Sweden have been dropped and bought several times depending on their usefulness to the Americans it is not a case of the system working as intended. It is a foreign power putting diplomatic pressure on the Swedish government to put pressure on a man who has embarrassed them.

And in this case, William Barr really doesn't want Assange here, in order to protect his client, Donald J. Trump. And that's why we will not see the extradition to the United States while the Justice Department has been essentially neutered by, what would you call it? Deep State?

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#386

Post by dependenttypes » Tue, Nov 19, 2019, 4:14 PM UTC

nemo wrote: post #271

dependenttypes wrote: post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not like he had any better choice here.

He could have just faced the charges in Sweden. He'd be out by now if he was found guilty. His behavior and streams of lies about extradition, etc. suggest the whole episode was a guilty man hiding and foolishly digging in. His best option was always to just face the charges instead of fleeing justice.

> and streams of lies about extradition

What lies about extradition? Just as they forced him out of the embassy the US published an extradition request. There were also past cases such as https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repatriation_of_Ahmed_Agiza_an...

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#387

Post by mariorossi666 » Tue, Nov 19, 2019, 4:15 PM UTC

dependenttypes wrote: post #360

mariorossi666 wrote: post #323

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. If you rape a girl the fact that in some country she is of legal age and in others she's not, it doesn't change the fact. It is rape, she said no, he forced her, it is rape. Please accept it, because it's what happened.

> 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…

> 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.

No, he wasn't defending Minsky, please stop saying that!

He was arguing that the definition of rape should not change based on the country you're in, or to put it in other words: if you are 16 in Italy, you can give consent to have sex, if you are 17 years and 364 days old in U.S.A., you can't.

That shouldn't change the definition of rape.

> It's just that they agreed to have a condom on but he apparently ripped it or something and she noticed it only afterwards

That's not what she says.

I was not there, did you?

I tend not to believe to a man that has at least 4 children with 4 women and he "prefers them virgins so he can be the first one to impregnate them" when it's about using condoms.

https://gawker.com/5757325/julian-assange-has-at-least-four-...

BUT we're seriously OT here.

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#388

Post by boomboomsubban » Tue, Nov 19, 2019, 4:15 PM UTC

bryanrasmussen wrote: post #233

andy_ppp wrote: post #163

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…

many people claim that they are only skipping bail because they believe the charges are fake, but do they really believe that?

Even if they're lying, they don't deserve the treatment Assange received for that crime.

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#389

Post by all_factz » Tue, Nov 19, 2019, 4:15 PM UTC

samdfonseca wrote: post #348

ckastner wrote: post #318

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…

Right, because all evidence points to him getting a fair trial if he came forward.

Re: Sweden Drops Julian Assange Rape Investigation

#390

Post by forgetfulusr » Tue, Nov 19, 2019, 4:16 PM UTC

Thank you Julian for confirming my long held beliefs of the atrocities the US government continues to do on our world. I'm sorry that we are not as strong as you but your actions have breathed hope. Hope that there still are breathing humans with their heads together,fighting for a better world. You have convinced at least this soul to be a shittier brick. I apologize for my comfy cowardness. You deserve better citizens alongside you. By the looks of things, they are likely to be behind bars as well. Good luck sir.