stephen bennett
Mr Enigma
They don't have to have a list on air. Just "the details of the funding are on our website."
Most of these are secretly funded. I wan't to know who is paying for their opinion.
Stephen
They don't have to have a list on air. Just "the details of the funding are on our website."
Most of these are secretly funded. I wan't to know who is paying for their opinion.
Stephen
stephen bennett
Mr Enigma
I have no feelings towards the man personally.
But I want to see the rule of law prevail.
He's innocent until proven guilty—despite some on here thinking otherwise. An allegation is not proof of guilt.
I think he's bound to be deported to the US—it'll be "send him over or the FTA gets it."
Stephen
But I want to see the rule of law prevail.
He's innocent until proven guilty—despite some on here thinking otherwise. An allegation is not proof of guilt.
I think he's bound to be deported to the US—it'll be "send him over or the FTA gets it."
Stephen
richardg
Admonishtrator
Indeed. Lots of that here.
Tony L
Administrator
Who is arguing for anything other than the due process of law? I’ve never believed the ridiculous scare-stories put about by his fanbois that he’d end up in Guantanamo or wherever. It was clearly propaganda bollocks from the start. Even if America is granted the extradition request, which I suspect is quite unlikely, it looks pretty clear he’d face nothing more than a minor “computer hacking” charge that I’d be far beyond amazed if he was found guilty of (he is many things, a hacker is not one of them).
PS For clarity: I want to see him extradited to Sweden to face the rape accusations he hid from for seven years largely at our expense. It is up to the Swedish authorities what happens next and none of our business.
richardg
Admonishtrator
His situation is very complex. Too complex to see him in a bad light for dodging rape charges / allegations. His personality (persona?) is not coming across well in the media. So people are seeing him in a bad light for everything.
I'm not supporting him, but having been through the UK justice system a couple of times myself, I don't rely on justice being the outcome. So I would not necessarily have trusted the Swedes or the Americans to treat me in a fair way either.
3
35451
Guest
If life was fair, Assange should have to face, in this order, and with due process:
1. Go to Sweden, face questioning and charges, then trial, if deemed appropriate, on the sexual charges.
2. If cleared (or not progressed) return to UK to face skipping bail charges.
3. UK review fully the US extradition request to get him over there to face any espionage charges.
For me the sexual allegations are the most serious and need resolving one way or another before any thing else is implemented.
1. Go to Sweden, face questioning and charges, then trial, if deemed appropriate, on the sexual charges.
2. If cleared (or not progressed) return to UK to face skipping bail charges.
3. UK review fully the US extradition request to get him over there to face any espionage charges.
For me the sexual allegations are the most serious and need resolving one way or another before any thing else is implemented.
3
35451
Guest
PS that Assange may claim not to get fair hearings anywhere on any of these, is as much is own fault for running and hiding, as it is the fault of any global prejudice around Wikijules or JuliLeaks...he made it worse by his cowardly actions.
SteveG
pfm Member
That's unlikely to happen because the statute of limitations has already expired on most of the alleged offences, leaving only one which expires next year. The Swedish authorities were more of less saying that they'd pick that up if he went back to Sweden before then, but otherwise were unlikely to do anything else.
stephen bennett
Mr Enigma
So, what does the panel think about this?
UK resisted Julian Assange’s offer to be questioned in London, emails reveal
Why would the UK block this?
Stephen
UK resisted Julian Assange’s offer to be questioned in London, emails reveal
Why would the UK block this?
Stephen
gavreid
Pretty Words...
As I recall, he requested protection as the Swedes were likely to have extredited him to the US rather than charge him. I don't think that's cowardly - as I said yesterday the rape allegations need to be entirely decoupled from the politics (if that's possible), we can't rule out a stitch up or a honey trap after all. The Americans have clearly put up a relatively minor offence for extradition request to appear reasonable, if they'd over-egged it they wouldn't get their prize.
If the funding is secret, then how will you ever know
.
Tony L
Administrator
How is it possible for someone who blatantly abused political asylum to hide from rape allegations from one of the most fair, decent and liberal countries on earth to be seen in a good light? Seven years of spineless cowering and grandstanding. Seven years of tax-payer financed police presence outside.
That’s before we even begin to contemplate how he later acted for alt-right forces, foreign actors etc and turned his once great website idea into something almost as biased, grubby, manipulative and partisan as Breitbart, RT, Press TV, Fox News or whatever. Sure, there are no charges he can face for this, no international laws forcing unbiased publishing, and I fully respect and accept that. It was his website to destroy as he wished, but it leaves him with less than zero credibility in the eyes of many of those who initially supported the Wikileaks project such as myself. He really sold-out in the most repulsive way imaginable.
stephen bennett
Mr Enigma
If the funding is secret, then how will you ever know
My point exactly.
BBC: We want you to come and tak about <whatever>. But we need to be able to demonstrate to listeners the source of your funding.
Think-tank: No.
BBC: Bye then.
Simple. The ones that say 'yes' get a platform. The ones that say 'no' do not.
Stephen
SteveG
pfm Member
That was his argument on why he wouldn't go to Sweden to face the accusations but I'm not convinced it was true anywhere other than in his own head. Whether Ecuador believed it not isn't clear, as they were also playing politics over the situation (and possibly still are, given how their politics have changed in the time he was in the embassy).
Typo, being truthful.
Excuse me, could you underline the bits where I say this? I'd be happier if they didn't exist - look how some on this forum hijack and subvert issues.
3
35451
Guest
Sweden has as much right to demand within EU, that a suspect be questioned in their own country, as the suspect does to demand that he be questioned in his own country. The fear of extradition to US is a smokescreen.
This is one of the benefits of EU - who use their legistlative powers, for equal human rights across its member states?
This is one of the benefits of EU - who use their legistlative powers, for equal human rights across its member states?
stephen bennett
Mr Enigma
He doesn't need to be seen in a 'good light'. It's irrelevant.
He had real concerns that countries that engage in Extraordinary Rendition would deal with him in the same way.
I love Sweden, but their hands are not clean in this respect.
We'll find out if his fears were real ones or not now.
Stephen
Can you prove this, or is it entirely made up? My point was not that, by the way, it was pointing out a logical flaw in your statement, that's all.
I didn't realise he was involved with any extreme right Saudi movements. Thanks for the heads up