Assange to be heard by UK Supreme Court

Photograph: Lefteris Pitarakis/AP

guardian.co.uk informed us on Friday that the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom has granted Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, permission to appeal against extradition to Sweden, where he faces sex crimes allegations.

The issue that the Supreme Court will decide on is "whether a prosecutor is a judicial authority".

Wouldn't it be amusing if the Swedish prosecutor Marianne Ny, after having the opportunity to question Julian Assange (when he has finally been sent over) decides that she doesn't have enough to substantiate a prosecution on the charges made.

The hearing has been scheduled for two days beginning on February 1st, 2012,

Assange Loses Appeal

guardian.co.uk today informs us that the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, has lost his high court appeal against extradition to Sweden to face rape allegations.

Lord Justice Thomas and Mr Justice Ouseley on Wednesday handed down their judgment in the 40-year-old Australian's appeal against a European arrest warrant issued by Swedish prosecutors after rape and sexual assault accusations made by two Swedish women following his visit to Stockholm in August 2010.

The judges rejected the appeal on all four grounds made by his legal team, opening up the possibility that Assange could be removed to Sweden by the end of the month.

Lord Justice Thomas said a date would be fixed in three weeks' time to hear any case by Assange that he should be allowed to take the case to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

To appeal again, Assange must persuade the judges there is a wider issue of "public importance" at stake in the latest decision. If he is successful in persuading the high court of that, he is likely to remain on conditional bail until a hearing in front of the supreme court. This is unlikely to take place until next year.

If he is denied the right to appeal then British law enforcement officers will be responsible for arranging his removal to Sweden within 10 days.

You can read Robert Booth´s full article here guardian.co.uk: Julian Assange loses appeal against extradition.


P.S. The picture pf Mr.. Assange was updated after the correct information supplied by my buddy Apmel in the comments.

Julian Is Back in Court

Julian Assange appeared in court again today for his appeal hearing against extradition to Sweden, where he faces allegations of sexual assault.

Read the coverage at guardian.co.uk, because I cannot be bothered to write about him right now.

Nothing Matters

On Friday I was thinking I should start to take stock of and reevaluate what I am doing with my life, first and second.

Then on Saturday everything came to a sort of standstill when I suddenly realized that nothing really made me happy, sad, angry, irritated or upset or evoked any emotions within me whatsoever. Nothing! I just suddenly went totally numb.

Nothing makes me want to think, act, get involved or bother in the least about it. It´s a really strange state for me, I cannot remember ever being here before. It´s like a very strange limbo, not unpleasant at all and very calm but sort of distant from everyone and everything.

Usually my feelings are what get me going. My feelings feed my thoughts and my thoughts lead to my actions, these lead to new reactions which I feel, think about and act on ad infinitum. Now I just think and absolutely nothing at all comes of it. My feelings sort of slammed the door in my face and just up and left.

I am still sure of certain things concerning my feelings though, but more in a rational than emotional way.
1. My parents love me and I love them.
2. I love Ars and Ars loved me.
3. Although I have always been a relationship junkie, I have never in my life been as clingy or dependent on others as I have been this last year. I am not used to throwing myself at anyone and ask them to take care of me, it doesn't suit me at all.

Well just wanted to let you - or perhaps myself - know whats going on here. Hopefully this will not last long. Hell, not even that wanker Assange upsets me right now - and that I know for sure will not last.

Date Set for Assange´s Appeal Hearing

guardian.co.uk today informs us that Julian Assange, co-founder of WikiLeaks, has now been given a date for his appeal hearing against extradition to Sweden, where he faces allegations of sexual assault.

The two-day hearing will take place at the high court in London beginning on July 12th, 2011.

Assange is appealing against a ruling by Judge Howard Riddle at Belmarsh magistrates' court in south London that extradition would not breach his human rights. Riddle dismissed all of Assange's arguments that he could not get a fair trial and rejected his claim that extradition to Sweden would violate his human rights.

Assange has said he fears extradition to Sweden could be a stepping stone to him being sent to the US to stand trial on fresh charges relating to WikiLeaks, and that he could even face the death penalty. Assange described the ruling as "rubber stamping" and the result of a "European arrest warrant system run amok". He denies the allegations against him and believes they were politically motivated, particularly after WikiLeaks' publication of leaked American diplomatic cables that rocked the US government.

If his appeal is unsuccessful, Assange could take his case to the supreme court, the United Kingdoms highest court, guardian.co.uk says.

Comforting Statistics for Julian

Julian Assange, co-founder of WikiLeaks, is suspected of rape and sexual assault in Sweden. He is at the moment fighting extradition from Great Britain to Sweden.

Here are some comforting statistics for Mr. Assange and his defense team, but rather worrying for the rest of us. 

Most likely the numbers are a reflection on the fact that the crimes by their nature are mostly committed in private with only the perpetrator and the victim present.

According to the Swedish legal definition rape occurs when someone is forced to have intercourse or other sexual acts through the use of violence or threats, or if the perpetrator exploits the victim in a helpless state. (Note: In Sweden both women and men can be raped.)

These are the Swedish yearly statistics for the crimes of rape (including aggravated rape):
60 000 (estimated) crimes committed
6 000 crimes reported to the police
600 charges brought to court
250 convictions

Circus Assange continued

WikiLeaks cofounder Julian Assange should be extradited to Sweden for questioning and possible trial on charges of rape and sexual assault, the British judge Howard Riddle decided in a ruling today.

Riddle said the Swedish prosecutors' request that Assange be handed over was valid and reasonable for their investigation into allegations that he sexually abused two women last August.

The defense team has left no stone unturned in this extradition hearing. They have argued that Swedish prosecutors did not have the authority to issue the European arrest warrant and that what Assange is alleged to have done would not count as serious crimes under British law. Assange's attorneys also called a witness who portrayed the chief prosecutor in the case as a radical feminist with a vendetta against men. Furthermore, the defense argued that Assange would not receive a fair trial in Sweden, where rape trials are usually held behind closed doors and where, defense lawyers said, adverse publicity surrounding the case would prejudice the outcome.

But the judge dismissed all those arguments. Riddle said the arrest warrant was procedurally correct and properly issued. Having sex with someone while she was asleep "would amount to rape" in Britain also. And as for the media attention and remarks in the press about the case, the judge decided "I am absolutely satisfied that no such comments will have any impact on the decisions of the courts, either here or in Sweden."

Assange, who denies the accusations, has seven days to lodge an appeal which should probably drag out the case at least a few more months.

Circus Assange

It´s been an interesting week following Circus Assange.

The extradition hearings that have taken place in London have given Julian Assange, his defense-team and his supporters ample opportunity to try to muddy the waters by conjuring up one objection after another against Swedish justice, Swedish judges and prosecutors and Swedish laws.

Sweden is not some 'hell-hole' with a dodgy legal system. Sweden is a democratic country, we have an independent judiciary and prosecutors that are independent from the ruling powers. Sweden is in fact a nation under the rule of law, we do not have "kangaroo courts" or a feminist lobby deciding the outcome of court cases.

The Swedish rape-laws are much the same as the British, the key word is "consent" not whether a condom has been used during penetration or not (sigh). We believe in the right of everyone - man or woman - to chose with whom we want to have sex, when and under what circumstances. If consent has been given it cannot be taken back after the fact (deeper sigh). Whether or not a condom has been used does not constitute rape.

Claims have been made against Assange by two young Swedish women. The claims have to be investigated by the Swedish prosecutors. Assange should be willing to assist with that investigation. He will of course have the right not to answer any questions that he believes would incriminate him in anyway whatsoever.

If the prosecutor after the investigation finds that there are reasons to believe that the claims are enough to bring charges against Assange she has to do so. After that it is up to the court to decide if - given all the evidence and facts that has been presented to the court during the course of the trial - if it finds that the prosecution has fulfilled it´s burden to prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.

Assange claims he is innocent and also says that he has the evidence to prove it, despite not knowing what the allegations him are as he hasn't been charged yet..

By appearing to be willing to use any legal maneuvers to avoid coming to Sweden Assange is giving the appearance of knowing that he is guilty of the allegations. He will loose a lot of support by this.

...and all the while this circus is going on the two women are vilified and harassed with their names, pictures and tweets posted all over the Internet by members of the media, the John Pilger´s, the Naomi Wolf´s and the Naomi Klein´s of this world and all the rest of the "Based on what I have read in the press, on the Internet or on the bathroom-walls I so feel that this must be a conspiracy and the charges must be trumped up"-mob.

Oh by the way, Sweden cannot extradite a person to another country without the prior consent of the country that has extradited that person to Sweden, neither can Sweden ever extradite anyone to a country where they risk the death penalty.

But hell, I don´t know why I waste my time, this is no longer about facts, it has become a religion with Julian as God. 

WikiLeaks has my support all the way, but the organization´s co-founder Julian Assange has lost it.

Get Your Ass to Sweden, Julian!

Julian Assange is the founder of WikiLeaks, which is a well known International organization that publishes private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources and news leaks.

Mr. Assange made a brief visit to Sweden in August last year. The visit resulted in charges of one case of rape in Enköping, three cases of sexual molestation in Stockholm and Enköping and an additional case of unlawful duress in Stockholm. The claimants were two young Swedish women.

According to the Swedish prosecutor the investigations into the alleged crimes can not be continued without Mr. Assange allowing himself to be interrogated on the charges.

Sweden has since August issued an International arrest warrant demanding that Mr. Assange be arrested and extradited to Sweden for interrogation.

Today there was a court hearing held in the Belmarsh court (London) to set the date for further proceedings. It was announced that Mr. Assange will remain free on bail until the actual procedure begins on February 7th, 2011. 

I strongly support WikiLeaks and it´s work in disclosing misconduct by and the sordid secrets of governments and officials all around the world. However Mr. Assanges continued refusal to co-operate with the investigation of the alleged crimes amaze me, especially if he - as he claims in the press - is innocent of all charges.

On a more personal note I would like to add, the longer you keep this charade running Julian, the more you seem like a bum and a coward - as my friend Diana would say - and more guilty by every day that passes. "Actions over words - always", my Ars would add I am sure.

You did not seem like a coward before this, so step up and do the right thing!