Swedish prosecutors drop Julian Assange rape investigation

originally posted by: paraphi
Very sad that he did not have the courage of his innocence to face his accusers.

That had NOTHING to do with it - it was the fear of being extradited from Sweden to the US that has been pointed out countless times and which people like you wilfully choose to ignore for whatever bizarre reason.

He submitted to questioning in December last year by prosecutors inside the embassy, which he said repeatedly that he was happy to do, and the decision to drop the charges stemmed from those interviews.

Why do you wilfully ignore this?

a reply to: Kryties

Comments from Julian Assange :

Detained for 7 years without charge by while my children grew up and my name was slandered. I do not forgive or forget.

Source : Twitter

a reply to: Kryties

He would have to be returned to Sweden to face the lesser charges , if Trump were to ask for his extradition they would arrest and extradite him.

As much as the decision is welcome Julian is as much a prisoner today as he was yesterday.

originally posted by: gortex

As much as the decision is welcome Julian is as much a prisoner today as he was yesterday.

Yeah, unfortunately it isn't over yet - but he's cleared the first big hurdle at least.

a reply to: gortex

I don't know if the laws are the same is the UK as the US. But once you have jumped bail you have to sit in jail until your court date and that can take months.

This happened to me once, I bailed out of jail on a stupid charge I would compare to j-walking. I I was waiting to be served my papers to go to court and after about a month I received a letter saying my bond has been revoked for failure to appear. I was never served papers, so I went to the courthouse house to let them know there was a mistake. And of course I was arrested on the spot and throw in jail.

I called my wife, told her to get my checkbook and bring a 5k check to my attorney, because I was going to be stuck in jail for almost 3 months until my court date, I would have lost everything career,car, home.

It's funny I tried explaining to the judge there was a mistake and she basically said fuk you go to jail. But when my attorney got involved he had me out of there in a couple days. My lawyers team ended up finding my papers that were supposedly served to me still at the clerk of courts office. All charges dropped and released immediately. The judge even called my cell phone and apologized, my lawyer said that was a first. Of course I didn't get my bail or attorney money back so it cost around 7k with lost wages involved. Are justice system is so messed up, there were so many people sitting in jail for months waiting on a court date that should never been in there.

What I'm getting at is if they arrest him on a skipping bail charge, but the rape case has been dropped, it hopefully will just be a paperwork situation like I went through. Maybe he can stay in the embassy while his attorney straightens this out.

I couldn't imagine missing a month of my child's life. But 7 years? I would be furious I hope he leaks everything he has just for payback.

By that tweet he seems pretty pissed, understandably.

originally posted by: Kryties
That had NOTHING to do with it - it was the fear of being extradited from Sweden to the US that has been pointed out countless times and which people like you wilfully choose to ignore for whatever bizarre reason.

He submitted to questioning in December last year by prosecutors inside the embassy, which he said repeatedly that he was happy to do, and the decision to drop the charges stemmed from those interviews.

Why do you wilfully ignore this?

Nope. But I challenge your understanding of the legal processes around extradition and the fallacies promulgated to avoid Assange facing justice for a serious sex allegation.

Anyway, here's some legal-ish explanations... New Statesman article

Two: “Assange is more likely to be extradited to USA from Sweden than the United Kingdom”
This is similarly untrue. Any extradition from Sweden to the United States would actually be more difficult. This is because it would require the consent of both Sweden and the United Kingdom. (See Francis FitzGibbon QC’s Nothing Like the Sun for further detail on this.)
One can add that there is no evidence whatsoever that the United Kingdom would not swiftly comply with any extradition request from the United States; quite the reverse. Ask Gary McKinnon, or Richard O'Dwyer, or the NatWest Three.

My main concern is not with Assange's actions - some of which have been good - but on the extraordinary belief that he could not rape. It's this celebrity-love group-think that has enabled celebrities to get away with crime after crime, while acting innocent. He's played people for fools. If he's innocent, let the courts decide.

a reply to: uncommitted

Legal duty? What on earth are you talking about?

Most everything the US does is ILLEGAL. That includes military aggression around the planet, torture, rendition, murder and much more.

a reply to: paraphi

You should consider informing yourself about the many definitions of rape in Sweden. It's absurd.

a reply to: paraphi

From: Julian Assange says texts show he is 'entirely innocent' of rape

Updated 8 Dec 2016, 6:23am

Julian Assange has gone public for the first time with his version of events surrounding a rape allegation made against him, saying he is "entirely innocent" and text messages show "it is clearly consensual sex between adults".

The ABC has obtained a copy of the statement the WikiLeaks founder gave prosecutors from his refuge inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London on November 14.

The statement includes:
* Detailed accounts of what he calls consensual sex with the woman known as SW
* Claims he had consensual and enjoyable sex four or five times with SW
* Alleged specifics of text messages from SW
* A virulent rejection of Swedish prosecutor Marianne Ny's actions

In the statement Mr Assange says he has been subjected to "six years of unlawful, politicised detention without charge", and documents selected extracts of his lawyers' notes of text messages sent by the two women at the centre of the allegations.

Mr Assange reiterates in his statement that he is "entirely innocent" of the one remaining allegation of rape and says text messages seen by his Swedish lawyers show that "it is clearly consensual sex between adults".

Mr Assange details notes taken by his lawyers at a Swedish police station after they were allowed to read text messages sent between SW and AA — the two women who made allegations against the WikiLeaks founder.

According to Mr Assange's statement the text messages included the following:

* On 17 August, SW wrote "JA did not want to use a condom".

* On 20 August, while at the police station, SW wrote that she "did not want to put any charges on Julian Assange" but that "the police were keen on getting their hands on him".

* According to the statement she was "chocked (sic shocked) when they arrested him" because she "only wanted him to take [an STD test]".

* On 21 August, SW wrote that she "did not want to accuse" Julian Assange "for anything" and that it was the "police who made up the charges (sic)"

*On 23 August, SW wrote that it was the police, not herself, who started the whole thing.

*On 26 August, AA wrote that they ought to sell their stories for money to a newspaper.

*On 28 August, AA wrote that they had a contact on the biggest Swedish tabloid and SW wrote that their lawyer negotiated with the tabloid.

Mr Assange was accused of starting to have sex with SW while she was asleep. Under Swedish law this could constitute rape.

He says a text message sent by SW shows this did not happen.

According to his statement, SW said "I was half asleep".

Amazing what you find when you take the time to do some actual RESEARCH isn't it?

a reply to: paraphi

If he's innocent, let the courts decide

He doesn't have that option as the looming spectre of extradition to the US overshadows the situation.

It may well be that the extradition warrant issued by Sweden was at the behest of the US. Who can say?

Chances are that as soon as he is in the custody of the UK authorities he will be 'rendered' to the US.

originally posted by: Salander
You should consider informing yourself about the many definitions of rape in Sweden. It's absurd.

Rape is rape. The allegations directed towards Assange would have been considered rape under English Law. Both Magistrates' Court and the High Court said that the charges against Assange would constitute rape in England.

You're not one of these people who think rape's OK are you?

originally posted by: paraphi

originally posted by: Salander
You should consider informing yourself about the many definitions of rape in Sweden. It's absurd.

Rape is rape. The allegations directed towards Assange would have been considered rape under English Law. Both Magistrates' Court and the High Court said that the charges against Assange would constitute rape in England.

You're not one of these people who think rape's OK are you?

The case has been dropped. That's it. There was no rape.

originally posted by: paraphi

originally posted by: Salander
You should consider informing yourself about the many definitions of rape in Sweden. It's absurd.

Rape is rape. The allegations directed towards Assange would have been considered rape under English Law. Both Magistrates' Court and the High Court said that the charges against Assange would constitute rape in England.

You're not one of these people who think rape's OK are you?

Did you read ANY part of that article I linked above?

originally posted by: Kryties
Did you read ANY part of that article I linked above?

Yes. Did you read mine? You contend that Assange is innocent because he says so. I contend that the courts should have made that determination.

originally posted by: paraphi

originally posted by: Kryties
Did you read ANY part of that article I linked above?

Yes. Did you read mine? You contend that Assange is innocent because he says so. I contend that the courts should have made that determination.

And by doing so put himself in real danger of being shipped off to the US to be screwed over and jailed for life - if not the death penalty.
Good plan.

He submitted to questioning inside the embassy and the prosecutor has dropped the charges. End of story.

Ecuador demands Britain grant Assange 'safe passage'

Ecuador urged Britain today to "grant safe passage" out of the country to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after Sweden dropped a warrant that drove him to take refuge in Ecuador's London embassy.

"The European Arrest Warrant no longer holds. The UK must now grant safe passage to Mr Julian Assange," minister Guillaume Long wrote on Twitter.

Swedish prosecutors earlier announced they had dropped their rape probe against Mr Assange.

"Chief Prosecutor Marianne Ny has today decided to discontinue the preliminary investigation regarding suspected rape concerning Julian Assange," the prosecutors’ office said in a statement.

Despite that, British police said they would still arrest Mr Assange if he tried to leave the embassy.

They said he had breached the terms of his bail by refusing to turn himself in when an arrest warrant was issued in 2012.

a reply to: Kryties

Assange is speaking Live now outside the embassy.

www.theguardian.com...

a reply to: EchoesInTime

Awesome, cheers for the heads up mate

Heres the live feed:



EDIT: Looks like I missed most of it - I will post a copy of it ASAP when it becomes available.

a reply to: Kryties
So you can't pinpoint any crimes that have led to investigation, prosecution and conviction then. Glad we've sorted that out.