Wikileaks Assange to be extradited from UK; Appeals expected to be lodged
Summary: Breaking news: Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, will be extradited from the UK to Sweden to face charges of rape and sexual assault, after arguing the charges are 'politically motivated'.
Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, will be extradited from the United Kingdom to Sweden to face charges of rape and sexual assault, a judge ruled earlier today.
However, Assange will all but certainly challenge the ruling with a series of appeals.
The defence team has seven days to lodge an appeal, or he will be extradited in ten days.
The case could reach the UK Supreme Court in London, if appeals go ahead. The higher up the appeal process you go, the longer it takes for a court date, meaning an appeal could run on for years, according to Bloomberg.
The presiding judge said that the Swedish extradition warrant was valid 'on the face of it', but the witnesses Assange's legal team put forward were poor, not credible and 'fed responses', according to BBC sources.
The judge also said that Assange had not made himself available for questioning in Sweden, though it was not for him to decide whether Assange had deliberately fled, and that he has 'no doubt' that Assange is wanted in Sweden for prosecution,
Assange is wanted for questioning, not a trial in Sweden, to answer questions relating to two events which occurred in Sweden last year.
The argument put forward by Assange's lawyers is that the European Arrest Warrant was invalid as the Wikileaks founder not only has not been charged with any offence, but that rape and sexual assault are not grounds for extradition.
One of the main concerns for Assange is that he will not receive a fair trial in Sweden, and that the US authorities will attempt to extradite him to face trial relating to his work with Wikileaks.
The UK would have to be asked permission to extradite him further to the United States, however. Assange himself argued that it would be 'politically impossible' for the UK to give permission to extradite him to the US on charges of espionage.
Also, as the Guardian state, Sweden has no system for bail, meaning Assange would be detained immediately upon his arrival.
Last year, Wikileaks released tens of thousands of US diplomatic cables which revealed embarrassing communiqués between diplomats around the world.
Since being released from custody in December, Assange has been living in the east of England but has had to report to a police station every day.
Assange has always denied the charges put against him.
Late last year, in response to the US diplomatic cables leak by Wikileaks, an email sent by the US Department of State warned students and prospective diplomats not to discuss or post Wikileaks related content on the web, warning that it could hamper their career in the civil service.
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- ZDNet Wikileaks poll: You're conflicted
- US subpoenas Wikileaks tweets, and why this could affect you
- Why Wikileaks cannot be a 'terrorist organisation'
- State Dept: Discuss Wikileaks, risk your career prospects
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Talkback
This could drag on for a very long time
And that, most of all, is what the US government wants.
I can see a day
Imagine it, an EU leadership that works for Europeans, not foreign powers.
I hope we live to see it....
sissy sue: Sounds like you're looking for a "direct democracy"
RE: Wikileaks Assange to be extradited from UK; Appeals expected to be lodged
Partially right. A direct democracy will not work without something like the Constitution of the United States to outline rights that cannot be taken away from a person for any reason.
My personal list is meshes up with the Bill of Rights pretty well, but adds a few:
1. The right to have sex with anyone you wish, as long as that person consents regardless of age or lack of.
2. The right to travel where you wish as long as you pay local taxes if you are in said country more than 6 months out of the year.
There are a few others, but those are covered by the Bill of Rights when read in an expansive light pretty well.
RE: Wikileaks Assange to be extradited from UK; Appeals expected to be lodged
The EU commissioners are appointed by democratically elected national governments. How exactly is that undemocratic?
Lerianis10: You don't understand what kind of "democracy" the U.S. is.
You're totally wrong.
There is no such thing as a "direct democracy" in the U.S. and any country that wishes a "direct democracy" like the U.S. and with a constitution like in the U.S., would not be a "direct democracy".
In the U.S. we have a democratic republic, as defined by our constitution. A democratic republic is not a direct democracy, where the people have a direct say on everything and anything that occurs in the country. Representative government is not direct government.
Also, please don't post as a response to any of my posts, anything to do with your definitions of age of consent and your "liberal" views about sex with children.
WilErz: You're making my point...
I never said something like that was undemocratic.
What your pointing to is a "representative" type of government making the appointments, sort of like when an elected president in the U.S. makes his cabinet appointments. But, in the U.S., the senate has to approve of those selections, but that's more of a formality.
A direct democracy is different from what you stated. In a direct democracy, the people make all the decisions, and there would not be any appointments by a representative group that speaks for the majority. A direct democracy would be a majority rule for all decisions.
RE: Wikileaks Assange to be extradited from UK; Appeals expected to be lodged
There is no need for KGB when much worse beast, CIA, is as alive as ever
Because we all know that CIA workers aren't people
and only people can be raped.
It's called a 'honey trap'
Dmarcu, please give us your name and address
LOL
RE: Wikileaks Assange to be extradited from UK; Appeals expected to be lodged
cant wait how much time until he end up in usa
I just hope that Assange as a ace's up its sleeve and use it
big time
So that he can get away with raping people?
why. If he did rape these women, why do you want him to have an "Ace up his sleeve". So that he can continue raping women?
Is that acceptable up in Quebec, because most countries frown on that kind of behavior.
a minute here ....
If you really think this is a rape case .... than your are right he should go to jail ...... but i really think its a set up. Since when you end up with interpol seeking a would be rapist ...
Its a honey trap that all. If for any would be reason its really a rape case .... he deserve jail .... but there too many thing weird ....
Also when a talk about the aces in the sleeve its in the case of a honey trap .... If its a honey trap uber-vengence is in order
And will never know the real truth only assange and the two would be victim /government agent /paid pro/will never know what happen for real .
there have been to many thing said on this ... Those who wanna see assange roth in jail for the leak are happy with the rape case ... and those who think he did the right thing with the leak will ALWAYS believed in the honey trap .
It has nothing to do with the province of quebec or anything btw
RE: Wikileaks Assange to be extradited from UK; Appeals expected to be lodged
wow lliberal fruit cake ......
wow once again ''ItsTheBottomLine '' great intelligence is showing up ho please will you stfu if you have nothing more that insult to vomit .....
if you cannot find anything better to discuses try not to swallow your tongue out of your own nothingness .
damn we have some limited specimen around here