To all those saying he's protected by good old English and European law just remember the Extraordinary rendition stories. As far as I'm aware, when it's expedient to do so, the authorites will happily break international law conventions.

Assange is well and truely up the creek, If i was him i'd do "jesus" and throw myself at their mercy and show the world just what our governments are capable of.

I am not saying the man is innocent or guilty but after googling "Julian Assange sequence of events" it would appear to the average person that he gave Swedish Prosecutors more than enough time to question him while he was still in Sweden when the original charge was laid AND withdrawn, or in their own words less than one full day after the arrest warrant is issued, it is revoked by prosecutor #2 who finds that "there are no grounds for suspicion of rape or any other sex crime"

He then, a couple of weeks later, left Sweden for the UK and made himself available for questioning in London as well, this offer was also not taken up by Swedish prosecutors!

Is the man really REALLY guilty of the crime of rape?

To my untrained brain the only answer I can give is an emphatic NO!

Julian Assange already talked to Swedish authorities about the alleged rape charges. Sweden had PLENTY of time to come to a verdict.

This is a smear campaign and bring shame on the UK. We really are turning into the US's lapdogs aren't we? That raises bile in my throat.

Free Assange, Free Manning.

Originally posted by wiser3
I am not saying the man is innocent or guilty but

Is the man really REALLY guilty of the crime of rape?

To my untrained brain the only answer I can give is an emphatic NO!

?? Ummmm... ??

Seriously though, we don't have access to the evidence at this time so, you really can't make any decision either way. People are arrested and questioned and released before being re-arrested in cases all the time. At the time of the initial report there may have been insufficient evidence, now there MAY be sufficient evidence or new questions as a result of new information from an ongoing investogation, that they need to ask him.... If not, then why are Sweden looking to have him retured there?
I'm definitely not saying he's innocent or guilty (seriously, i'm actually not ) but he should have to go to court and be found innocent or guilty by a court of law, not people on a discussion forum without all the evidence at their disposal, just like everyone else.

Like I said above, maybe Equador have a damn good reason to believe (as in more than just suspicion, actual evidence maybe?) that there are no charges to be answered and that this is political... In which case they should lay it all out on the table and make their case publicly. That's my distinctly uninformed opinion on the matter anyway. I'm sure it's much more complex than that...

Originally posted by mr-lizard
Julian Assange already talked to Swedish authorities about the alleged rape charges. Sweden had PLENTY of time to come to a verdict.

This is a smear campaign and bring shame on the UK. We really are turning into the US's lapdogs aren't we? That raises bile in my throat.

Free Assange, Free Manning.

Bring shame on the UK? It is pretty clear the UK are willing participants

Knowingly

He's just been granted Asylum according to the BBC link.

Now will the UK respect this? Or will it become a diplomatic farce.

False flag attack against Ecuador next? That or Assange is a dead man...

Originally posted by mr-lizard
He's just been granted Asylum according to the BBC link.

Now will the UK respect this? Or will it become a diplomatic farce.

The likely outcome is an obituary

Sadly

Julian Assange: Ecuador grants Wikileaks founder asylum Continue reading the main story

Ecuador has granted asylum to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange two months after he took refuge in its London embassy while fighting extradition from the UK.

Its foreign minister accused the UK of making an "open threat" to enter its embassy to arrest Mr Assange.

Ricardo Patino said there were fears Mr Assange's human rights may be violated.

Mr Assange took refuge at the embassy in June to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces questioning over assault and rape claims, which he denies.

He made the move after the UK's Supreme Court dismissed Mr Assange's bid to reopen his appeal against extradition and gave him a two-week grace period before extradition proceedings could start.

It was during that fortnight, while on bail, that he sought refuge.

A subsequent offer by Ecuador to allow Swedish investigators to interview Mr Assange inside the embassy was rejected.

The Wikileaks website Mr Assange founded published a mass of leaked diplomatic cables that embarrassed several governments, particularly the US's, in 2010.

Earlier, the UK Foreign Office warned it could lift the embassy's diplomatic status to fulfil a "legal obligation" to extradite the 41-year-old by using the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987.

Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino: ''We are not a colony of Britain''
That allows the UK to revoke the diplomatic status of an embassy on UK soil, which would potentially allow police to enter the building to arrest Mr Assange for breaching the terms of his bail.

Mr Assange says he fears that if extradited to Sweden, he will then be passed on to the American authorities.

In 2010, two female ex-Wikileaks volunteers accused Mr Assange, an Australian citizen, of committing sexual offences against them while he was in Stockholm to give a lecture.

Mr Assange claims the sex was consensual and the allegations are politically motivated.

Originally posted by mr-lizard
He's just been granted Asylum according to the BBC link.

Now will the UK respect this? Or will it become a diplomatic farce.

Really, that's just excellent!

Now hands off UK and shame on the Australian goverment.

Mickierocksman