Ecuador grants asylum to WikiLeaks founder Assange
- Thread starter Goober
- Start date
The Death Penalty as it should be is on its way out- I can almost agree with mass murderers -Saddam for one and such- persons who commit crimes against humanity- but I prefer my way- They are locked up- every move they make is put on the net- from sitting reading a book- to having a crap.
hanging them, shooting them all it means is they are a news story for a few days. People get their vengeance but that does not cause any harm reduction or healing or that Total BS term many use without thinking - Closure- people never achieve closure- it is with them till they die-
Fuk that - I want to see the Fukr alone in a cell for the rest of their life.
He's wanted in Sweden on allegations of rape.
Let's hope he likes goat stew and grilled guinea pig.
It looks much nicer than fish and chips.
Julian Assange’s Flying Circus
By John Rentoul
Eagle Eye
Friday, 17 August 2012
The Independent
Julian Assange’s legal arguments for why he should not be extradited to Sweden are particularly comic. Few people realise, for example, that, if the US were to seek to extradite him from Sweden, the British Home Secretary would still be required to approve it under the terms of the European Arrest Warrant.
There is thus less chance of Assange being extradited to the US from Sweden, which would require approval from two governments, than from here.
The ruling by the original judge in the extradition case is well worth reading for the flakiness of Assange’s witnesses, but the last paragraph is a gem:
There was at one stage a suggestion that Mr Assange could be extradited to the USA (possibly to Guantanamo Bay or to execution as a traitor). The only live evidence on the point came from the defence witness Mr Alhem who said it couldn’t happen. In the absence of any evidence that Mr Assange risks torture or execution Mr [Geoffrey] Robertson [Assange's QC] was right not to pursue this point in closing. It may be worth adding that I do not know if Sweden has an extradition treaty with the United States of America. There has been no evidence regarding this. I would expect that there is such a treaty. If Mr Assange is surrendered to Sweden and a request is made to Sweden for his extradition to the United States of America, then article 28 of the framework decision applies. In such an event the consent of the Secretary of State in this country will be required, in accordance with section 58 of the Extradition Act 2003, before Sweden can order Mr Assange’s extradition to a third State. The Secretary of State is required to give notice to Mr Assange unless it is impracticable to do so. Mr Assange would have the protection of the courts in Sweden and, as the Secretary of State’s decision can be reviewed, he would have the protection of the English courts also. But none of this was argued.
(Thanks to Martin Bentham, my well informed colleague on the Evening Standard, for pointing this out to me.)
As David Aaronovitch argued in The Times yesterday (pay wall), Assange is obviously afraid not of being extradited to the US but of being tried for rape and sexual assault in Sweden. Fortunately, not all my colleagues who like to think of themselves as to the left of me have fallen for the festival of anti-US feeling.
Julian Assange’s Flying Circus | John Rentoul | Independent Eagle Eye Blogs
That's not saying much is it?
The stodge those dimwits stuff down in old blighty would gag a maggot.
And speaking of gagging maggots you forgot my reference to personal hygiene-since I've actually travelled in Ecuador I know that people there prize cleanliness-something that can't be said of the Briddish.
Q-Where is the Best place to hide one's money in a Briddish hotel room?
A-Under the soap!
I can understand Ecuador's concern of Mr. Assange being extradited to the US. But, neither the UK nor Sweden would send Assange back without ensuring his safety and a fair trial, since the courts would prevent it otherwise. So if that's Ecuador's concern, I'd imagine that should be resolved soon enough.
Add to this that to the best of my knowledge the US is not even trying to seek his extradition; besides, it would likely have to be a US court that would make that call based on actual evidence. Again, to the best of my knowledge that has not happened.
Again, Ecuador might have concerns about the US circumventing its laws by sending him to Guantanamo, but then we'd be right back to Swedish and Uk courts protecting him there.
Also, seeing taht the US knows darn well that they'd be suspect number 1 if anything happened to Assange, they would not want to touch him with a ten foot pole. In fact, if they found out someone was trying to assassinate Assange, the US itself would probably pass the info on to Interpol, not because the US loves Assange, but just because he'll give them more headaches in a suspicious death than alive.
So why would the US be conspiring in any way? It's not in their interest.
Add to this that to the best of my knowledge the US is not even trying to seek his extradition; besides, it would likely have to be a US court that would make that call based on actual evidence. Again, to the best of my knowledge that has not happened.
Again, Ecuador might have concerns about the US circumventing its laws by sending him to Guantanamo, but then we'd be right back to Swedish and Uk courts protecting him there.
Also, seeing taht the US knows darn well that they'd be suspect number 1 if anything happened to Assange, they would not want to touch him with a ten foot pole. In fact, if they found out someone was trying to assassinate Assange, the US itself would probably pass the info on to Interpol, not because the US loves Assange, but just because he'll give them more headaches in a suspicious death than alive.
So why would the US be conspiring in any way? It's not in their interest.
Julian Assange arrest plan from Scotland Yard revealed in photo | World | News | National Post
LONDON — A confidential document photographed by Britain’s Press Association news agency lays out Scotland Yard’s simple strategy for dealing with Julian Assange should he ever try to leave Ecuador’s Embassy in London.
“Assange to be arrested under all circumstances,” the hand-written note says.
The briefing paper, captured by an eagle-eyed photographer as an official carried it in his hand, lays out the major difficulty the WikiLeaks founder faces, even though he’s received diplomatic asylum. He’s safe as long as he remains in the embassy. The minute he steps outside, he faces immediate arrest – and speedy extradition to Sweden – over sex crimes allegations leveled against him there.
It’s a standoff that has the potential to drag on for weeks, months, or even years, and it’s one that has pitted the United Kingdom – which has warned it could revoke the embassy’s status if diplomats continue to shelter the Australian computer expert – against the small Andean nation of Ecuador and many of its left-leaning Latin American allies.
The world’s media have followed every move in the increasing convoluted WikiLeaks saga – which has elements of journalistic intrigue, conspiracy theory, legal wrangling, and international diplomacy.
The latter got the most play Friday, with the Ecuadoreans saying that several South American diplomats had visited the embassy in solidarity with Ecuador’s stand against Britain’s warning.
Argentina, which fought a brief war with Britain in 1982 over the Falkland Islands – also known as the Malvinas – took the opportunity to scold London for the move, which it described as a “violation of international law.”
“This action shows the arrogance of British diplomacy,” the Argentinian Embassy said in a statement. “It doesnt come as a surprise for Argentinians, as it is similar to the British statements on the Malvinas Question, in which the U.K. has also disregarded international law.”
Britain’s Foreign Office said earlier that it had delivered a letter to Ecuador’s Embassy – but declined to say what was in it. Neither side shows any sign of budging any time soon.
LONDON — A confidential document photographed by Britain’s Press Association news agency lays out Scotland Yard’s simple strategy for dealing with Julian Assange should he ever try to leave Ecuador’s Embassy in London.
“Assange to be arrested under all circumstances,” the hand-written note says.
The briefing paper, captured by an eagle-eyed photographer as an official carried it in his hand, lays out the major difficulty the WikiLeaks founder faces, even though he’s received diplomatic asylum. He’s safe as long as he remains in the embassy. The minute he steps outside, he faces immediate arrest – and speedy extradition to Sweden – over sex crimes allegations leveled against him there.
It’s a standoff that has the potential to drag on for weeks, months, or even years, and it’s one that has pitted the United Kingdom – which has warned it could revoke the embassy’s status if diplomats continue to shelter the Australian computer expert – against the small Andean nation of Ecuador and many of its left-leaning Latin American allies.
The world’s media have followed every move in the increasing convoluted WikiLeaks saga – which has elements of journalistic intrigue, conspiracy theory, legal wrangling, and international diplomacy.
The latter got the most play Friday, with the Ecuadoreans saying that several South American diplomats had visited the embassy in solidarity with Ecuador’s stand against Britain’s warning.
Argentina, which fought a brief war with Britain in 1982 over the Falkland Islands – also known as the Malvinas – took the opportunity to scold London for the move, which it described as a “violation of international law.”
“This action shows the arrogance of British diplomacy,” the Argentinian Embassy said in a statement. “It doesnt come as a surprise for Argentinians, as it is similar to the British statements on the Malvinas Question, in which the U.K. has also disregarded international law.”
Britain’s Foreign Office said earlier that it had delivered a letter to Ecuador’s Embassy – but declined to say what was in it. Neither side shows any sign of budging any time soon.
My opinion- The Brits will keep this place under watch for years if they have to- Lots of ways to make life inconvenient even for those with Diplomatic Immunity.
Possible an agreement will be made- Assange goes to Sweden for trial- If convicted serves his sentence and is transferred to Ecuador- If found innocent- same thing - safe passage to Ecuador.
Britain ‘committed’ to dialogue with Ecuador over Julian Assange | World | News | National Post
LONDON — Britain said on Sunday it remained committed to reaching a diplomatic solution to the presence of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in Ecuador’s London embassy, after both countries took steps to defuse a row over his action in taking refuge there.
Assange has been living in the embassy’s cramped quarters for more than two months since fleeing there to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over rape and sexual assault allegations.
The Latin American state’s leader said on Saturday that Britain had withdrawn a threat to enter the embassy to arrest Assange, to whom Ecuador has granted asylum, and that he now considered the “unfortunate incident” was over.
Possible an agreement will be made- Assange goes to Sweden for trial- If convicted serves his sentence and is transferred to Ecuador- If found innocent- same thing - safe passage to Ecuador.
Britain ‘committed’ to dialogue with Ecuador over Julian Assange | World | News | National Post
LONDON — Britain said on Sunday it remained committed to reaching a diplomatic solution to the presence of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in Ecuador’s London embassy, after both countries took steps to defuse a row over his action in taking refuge there.
Assange has been living in the embassy’s cramped quarters for more than two months since fleeing there to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over rape and sexual assault allegations.
The Latin American state’s leader said on Saturday that Britain had withdrawn a threat to enter the embassy to arrest Assange, to whom Ecuador has granted asylum, and that he now considered the “unfortunate incident” was over.