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Julian Assange Seeks Asylum In Ecuador Embassy

ecuadorembassyuk.org.uk

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Re: Julian Assange Seeks Asylum In Ecuador Embassy

#41

Post by wvenable »

objclxt wrote: post #25
Muzza wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Though I back his politics 100%, he has every responsibility to face his accusers in a fair trial. With Sweden's looney toons laws, I strongly disagree.

This is getting really tired now. Assange and his legal team have tried every possible angle . Sweden has very different laws to say the US. This is not unexpected. The English courts have determined that Sweden's justice system is fair and balanced. Assange attempted to avoid extradition by arguing Sweden didn't have the right to issue an arrest warrant, not that he was going to get an unfair trial. This is an act o…

Assange stayed in Sweden for 5 weeks to be interrogated and only left Sweden after asking permission to do so from the Swedish Prosecutor.

Saying this is all about avoid accusations of sexual assault seems to contradict the actual facts.

Re: Julian Assange Seeks Asylum In Ecuador Embassy

#42

Post by wilfra »

simfoo wrote: post #16
wilfra wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US has nothing to do with this. Sweden is trying to have him extradited from the UK for a sexual assault charge.

Nope, there is no charge, they just want to question him.

My mistake. In any event, this has nothing to do with the US government.

Re: Julian Assange Seeks Asylum In Ecuador Embassy

#43

Post by Estragon »

opminion wrote: post #2

Assange interviewed the Ecuatorian president for his program at RT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE-1-9QXd3Y The Ecuatorian president is introduced as "populist", yet the interview is non-critical. I thought "populist" was globally pejorative? Edit: the president himself uses the term in a negative context

If you want to refer to a populist pejoratively, you call them a demagogue.

Re: Julian Assange Seeks Asylum In Ecuador Embassy

#44

Post by EwanToo »

mcantelon wrote: post #23
wilfra wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US has nothing to do with this. Sweden is trying to have him extradited from the UK for a sexual assault charge.

He's not even charged in Sweden. It's fairly obvious the Swedish angle is being used to get him in a country from which he can be extradicted to the US.

Because the UK never extradites anyone to the USA, especially their own citizens...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_McKinnon

Re: Julian Assange Seeks Asylum In Ecuador Embassy

#45

Post by danielweber »

nirvana wrote: post #39

Julian's situation seems very weird to me, given the stories about how secretive he was, how he kept in hiding, etc. At the same time, he was very clearly and publicly the face of wikileaks. Why did he not simply remain anonymous? All that Wikileaks has done could be done without having a public figurehead, right? Being public seems to have been the tactical error. (or was he trying to be anonymous, but got outed at…

According to the people at the New York Times he worked with, he became transformed by his celebrity.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/magazine/30Wikileaks-t.htm... goes into their history. I'm tempted to quote a few paragraphs but it wouldn't be fair since there is a very large picture being painted.

Re: Julian Assange Seeks Asylum In Ecuador Embassy

#46

Post by cmdkeen »

mc32 wrote: post #14

Why not Argentina? He could take advantage of their antipathy toward the UK. Too transparent?

Female Catholic President. Bit of a risk that she doesn't like people who have (admitted in court in the UK) some pretty dubious sexual acts. Acts which the UK court have said would constitute offences in the UK.

Re: Julian Assange Seeks Asylum In Ecuador Embassy

#47

Post by rickmb »

Seems to me Assange isn't so much afraid of being extradited to US (there is a truckload of ways to fight that if it ever comes to that) but of actually being convicted in Sweden.

The Piratebay trials have shown how corrupted the Swedish justice system can be, with both police, prosecution and judges having proven private connections with the copyright industry (which in itself is not only organized and financed by the US, but also actively backed up by the US government).

Being extradited to the US would make him a martyr, but being convicted for rape in Sweden would damage his reputation beyond repair. I doubt if the US even wants to deal with the whole circus of getting Assange extradited if there's an easier way to take him out of play.

Re: Julian Assange Seeks Asylum In Ecuador Embassy

#48

Post by cmdkeen »

objclxt wrote: post #26
mc32 wrote: post #14

Why not Argentina? He could take advantage of their antipathy toward the UK. Too transparent?

It's not the UK that wants him - it's Sweden.

He's also been bailed by the British courts for the purposes of the extradition process. So he may be committing offences in terms of that. Concrete offences that a normal extradition treaty might cover but that the Swedish "we want to question" warrant may not outside the EU.

Re: Julian Assange Seeks Asylum In Ecuador Embassy

#49

Post by OzzyB »

nirvana wrote: post #39

Julian's situation seems very weird to me, given the stories about how secretive he was, how he kept in hiding, etc. At the same time, he was very clearly and publicly the face of wikileaks. Why did he not simply remain anonymous? All that Wikileaks has done could be done without having a public figurehead, right? Being public seems to have been the tactical error. (or was he trying to be anonymous, but got outed at…

>All that Wikileaks has done could be done without having a public figurehead, right?

I say no.

Taking a feather from Rock 'n Roll, you need a front-man.

Re: Julian Assange Seeks Asylum In Ecuador Embassy

#50

Post by marshray »

xefer wrote: post #7
sp332 wrote: post #3

Why Ecuador, in particular? I just learned that they've adopted the US dollar as their currency, following devaluation of their old currency in 1999. Edit: I checked, and Ecuador does have extradition treaties with both the UK and the US. I don't know about Sweden though. Edit2: according to http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/06/19/assange_seeks... Ecuador has a treaty with the EU as well. But moving to Ecuador…

I have a feeling he'll be "couch surfing" from embassy to embassy to delay the extradition as long as possible.

You don't think he'll be arrested the minute he sets foot out of the Ecuadorian?
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