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WikiLeaks' Assange 'arbitrarily detained' in embassy, U.N. panel to say

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A very sad affair indeed! As a lawyer, I would like to suggest the friend of human rights this. Please go through the legal process and procedures only to obtain yours and other people's human rights and freedom. I am sure you will be respected more than ever before. Thank you

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I say give the man free passage to Ecuador.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Nobody's stopping him from leaving the embassy. What's he complaining about?

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

I'm all for whistleblowing, but the revelations by Wikileaks go way beyond simple government wrongdoing into the realm of real endangerment of national security while showing NO wrongdoing on the part of US or other government officials.

It amounts to damaging US security just because you can. That SHOULD MOST DEFINITELY BE ILLEGAL.

BTW, Daniel Ellsberg submitted himself for prosecution in the Pentagon papers case. I guess Assange isn't nearly so brave.

If you want to see what a real fascist society looks like, go to Edward Snowden's adopted haven, Russia. There, they murder journalists for not toeing the party line.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

I hope this guy gets locked up and never sees the light of day again. Scum!

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

Assange can leave the embassy at any time. All he has to do is open the embassy door and walk outside.

“We have been consistently clear that Mr Assange has never been arbitrarily detained by the U.K. but is, in fact, voluntarily avoiding lawful arrest by choosing to remain in the Ecuadorean embassy,” a British government spokeswoman said.

More importantly, there are two women in Sweden who expect the alleged rapist Assange to face trial in Sweden. (At least Assange can't rape any other women while he's in the embassy.)

“An allegation of rape is still outstanding and a European Arrest Warrant in place, so the UK continues to have a legal obligation to extradite Mr Assange to Sweden,” she said.

Swedish prosecutors said the U.N. decision had no formal impact on the rape investigation under Swedish law.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Nobody's stopping him from leaving the embassy. What's he complaining about?

exactly! can't see how the working group can make a conclusion like this...

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@CrazyJoe

It amounts to damaging US security just because you can. That SHOULD MOST DEFINITELY BE ILLEGAL

Mr.Assange is not a US citizen, why US security must be a law-abiding concern for him?

If you want to see what a real fascist society looks like, go to Edward Snowden's adopted haven, Russia

Hunting foreign nationals for acts you don't like.... Hmmm, sounds very fascist to me.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

AsakazeFEB. 05, 2016 - 12:29PM JST Hunting foreign nationals for acts you don't like.... Hmmm, sounds very fascist to me.

Indeedy. Sounds like failed attempts at copying the Russian despot, Vladimir Putin. Although apart from a handful of left-wing radical wanabee hacktivists, I doubt anyone would really care about someone slipping Jules a glass of earl grey polonium.

Jules, your self-made reality show is over. Man up and face your allegations of sexual misconduct. Your "mission" does not give you immunity. And why should it?

2 ( +5 / -3 )

@Madverts

Man up and face your allegations of sexual misconduct.

The whole story gives an impression that UK police have nothing else to do. But they have: in the town of Rotherham rape orgy continued unchecked for fifteen years, 1400 young girls were raped, but the police did nothing. Sure, two alleged rapes in Sweden are much more important then 1400 in your home.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

For you Assange haters. You should at least be happy that he has said if the UN denies his claim, he will willingly exit the building and be arrested. Admitting that he has exhausted all legal defensive means and therefore no point in continuing.

Arrestpaul: Assange has been accused of rape but it has yet to be proven factual, you even used the word "alleged" but then go on to say, "at least he can't rape any other women while he's in the embassy"

Do you actually have proof he is a rapist or is your hatred already convicted him without knowing the facts?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Rotherham rape orgy continued unchecked for fifteen years

It's probably going on elsewhere right now. And certainly not just in the UK. They were at least caught and gaoled. Another straw-man butes the dust.

What's with the knee jerk? By your own definition above your very own President Putin is a fascist, someone who has ruthlessly assassinated or jailed every single threat to his regime. That's a keeper.

The Assange reality show was all about him. He's no Edward Snowdon. He's in a prison cell of his own making. And there is plenty of credibility in the accusations of gross sexual misconduct. Read his stalker emails, he's creepy.

But indulge me. Why should one man's self appointed mission make him worthy of immunity for very serious allegations in your opinion?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

@Madverts

It's probably going on elsewhere right now

On that scale, for such a long time time? All right, give me example.

By your own definition

And where did you bring it from? And you keep saying about strawman and knee jerk?

Why should one man's self appointed mission make him worthy of immunity for very serious allegations

And again you twist my words very unceremoniousnessly. I never said anything like that. I just observed that some posters here are very enraged and demand severe punishment not for Assange's alleged rapes, but for his damage to US security.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

On that scale, for such a long time time? All right, give me example.

No. It's your strawman,

But indulge me. Why should one man's self appointed mission make him worthy of immunity for very serious allegations in your opinion?

Get back to me on that.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Get back to me on that.

Sure. From my previous post (excuse my self-quotation):

I never said anything like that. I just observed that some posters here are very enraged and demand severe punishment not for Assange's alleged rapes, but for his damage to US security.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

That's rather a swerve Asakaze. Up until now your position seemed to be that because other people raped more than Assange that he shouldn't have to face tribunal.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Asakaze: Hunting foreign nationals for acts you don't like.... Hmmm, sounds very fascist to me.

Hmmm, President Putin sent a hunter to kill UK citizen / Putin accuser / former Soviet agent Alexander Litvinenko with polonium-laced tea ...

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Stuart hayward - >Arrestpaul: Assange has been accused of rape but it has yet to be proven factual, you even used the word "alleged" but then go on to say, "at least he can't rape any other women while he's in the embassy"

Do you actually have proof he is a rapist or is your hatred already convicted him without knowing the facts?

Assange is suspected of rape, sexual molestation and unlawful coercion, all non-political crimes. And the U.S. has never issued a warrant for Assange's arrest. Plus, while Sweden and Britain recognize "political" asylum, they do not recognize the "diplomatic" asylum granted by Ecuador under the 1954 Caracas Convention.

According to the "UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention Assange Opinion" -

23 - According to the Government of Sweden, n 18 November 2010, a Swedish prosecutor requested that Mr. Assange should be detained in his absence on probable cause suspected of rape, two counts of sexual molestation and unlawful coercion. On the same day, the Stockholm District Court decided to detain Mr. Assange in his absence. The decision was upheld by the Svea Court of Appeals on 24 November 2010. In order to execute the detention order, the Swedish prosecutor issued an international arrest warrant as well as a European Arrest Warrant.

25 - Mr. Assange requested a reconsideration of the detention order before the Stockholm District Court on 24 June 2014. On 16 July 2014, the Stockholm District Court ruled that the decision on detention in absentia should be upheld.

34 - It should furthermore be noted that according to relevant international instruments, including the Latin American Convention on Diplomatic Asylum, the right to seek and enjoy asylum does not apply if an applicant as ground of asylum invokes that he or she is wanted for ordinary, non-political, crime (see e.g. Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights). In this respect, the Government notes that Mr. Assange is suspected of rape, sexual molestation and unlawful coercion, all non-political crimes, and can therefore not rely on the above legal frameworks in this respect.

35 - In light of the above, the Government refutes the source's allegation that Sweden is obliged by applicable law and Convention obligations to recognise the asylum granted.

48 - The Ecuadorean Government granted Mr. Assange "diplomatic" asylum under the 1954 Caracas Convention, not "political" asylum. The UK is under no legal obligations arising from Ecuador's decision.

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2704486-UN-Working-Group-on-Arbitrary-Detention-Assange.html#document/p1

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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