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The trial of Julian Assange

Started by Bence Fekete, February 24, 2020, 02:56:15 PM

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Bence Fekete

The trial starts today. Looks like they're focusing on the (legitimately) illegal act of hacking as their reason for extradition.

It could all boil down to where you stand on the usefulness of hacking US alphabet agencies to expose war crimes as a force for good. I think it's one of our last defences against absolute tyranny and self-destruction. But that's me!

Here is a comprehensive debunking and handy index of all the various smears thrown at Assange during his spell in the cupbaord of Ecuador.

Love or loathe this trial is about journalism.

Buelligan

I think it's OK as long as everyone that killed anyone and those who gave the orders and sold the shares, get handed over to the families.  People should face the consequences of their actions.


Pdine

Quote from: Bence Fekete on February 24, 2020, 02:56:15 PM
Here is a comprehensive debunking and handy index of all the various smears thrown at Assange during his spell in the cupbaord of Ecuador. hagiography.


imitationleather

I'd like to write a book about the leader of the Conservatives from 1997-2001 and call it Hagueiography.

jobotic

I was going to do that but my 14 pints a day habit meant I never got round to it

Chollis

I'd like to write a book about legendary Romanian footballer Gheorghe Hagi and call it Hagiography.

H-O-W-L

Latter-day sequel to The Execution of Gary Glitter considered for cancellation in post-production.

Bence Fekete

If we're not careful we'll all be living under an Huaweiocracy soon. To hack or not to hack, that is the ?

dissolute ocelot

One of those trials when I want everybody to lose. Objectively, Assange shouldn't be jailed for life any more than Chelsea Manning should, but Chelsea didn't sexually assault anybody and then spend years on the run from justice. People who idolise Assange are one step up from those wearing Ronnie Biggs t-shirts.

Buelligan

I'm not interested or involved in this to any great degree but still, do we know that Assange assaulted someone?  Should we say he did if we don't?  Do we believe that anyone would give a solitary fuck about it or the possible victim(s) if there was no wikileaks?

And whilst we're on that, where's the unrelenting justice for the victims of the American War MachineTM?

And, come to that, Harry Dunn was 19.

Bence Fekete

Assange's lawyer nailed it on the clip Novara played last night.

The gravity of this case is being played down by our MSM but it's huge: If other nations can just snatch whomever they request, on demand, on publishing charges then we do not have a free press by any definition. Who can publish the next leak? What if the Saudis start petitioning? We are finally and unconditionally America's biatch. 

They won't even need any serious evidence. Just a bunch of maybes and who knows.

They might even nick yer gran.

Ok, no, I'm joking. They wouldn't bother trying to nick your gran.

Barry Admin

I've very much enjoyed what I've read so far of that blog, thanks for posting.

And yes, Harry Dunn's parents are bang on, and this is all absolutely disgusting hypocrisy that shows how subservient, fawning and one-sided this "special relationship" actually is.

Cuellar

I'd like to write a book about St. Thomas and call it a hagiography

Pinball

US legal imperialism in action, thanks to Blunkett's US-UK one-sided 'sir yes sir' extradition bill. We are the US's bitch.

I suspect the Pentagon has raped and killed more people than Assange, yet who is on trial?

chveik

Quote from: dissolute ocelot on February 25, 2020, 11:20:30 AM
One of those trials when I want everybody to lose. Objectively, Assange shouldn't be jailed for life any more than Chelsea Manning should, but Chelsea didn't sexually assault anybody and then spend years on the run from justice. People who idolise Assange are one step up from those wearing Ronnie Biggs t-shirts.

mate...

Pinball

Not wearing a condom during sex is only considered rape in Sweden, and the case was dropped in time to pave the way for US extradition. So a pitch perfect CIA psyops mission, then, that the media and proles swallowed hook, line and sinker, apparently.

Assange for Oz PM!

Urinal Cake

Quote from: Pinball on February 26, 2020, 12:36:37 AM
Not wearing a condom during sex is only considered rape in Sweden, and the case was dropped in time to pave the way for US extradition. So a pitch perfect CIA psyops mission, then, that the media and proles swallowed hook, line and sinker, apparently.

Assange for Oz PM!
I think one victim was adamant to get her day in Court after the prosecutors dropped the case. Also it might not be rape but it should be sexual assault and is just an awful thing to do. Then his whole gesturing towards Trump after dropping the Podesta leaks. Assange is such an unlikeable guy but the people he's up against are fucking psychopaths and murderers.

Also politically in Australia, Assange is too much trouble so both major parties would rather the UK and US just handle it.

Ferris

Quote from: H-O-W-L on February 24, 2020, 04:16:19 PM
Latter-day sequel to The Execution of Gary Glitter considered for cancellation in post-production.

I had a huge argument with a former girlfriend in 2009 (forget reason) and all I remember about the evening is that she went back to her flat and I stayed up late in my living room pissed up on cheap cider watching The Execution of Gary Glitter on E4+1. It all lasted another few weeks before ending very badly.

Now there's a slice of life for you. Possibly the worst thing Glitter has ever done.

Buelligan

I think the point of Justice is that it's blind, one of the points anyway.  That means that we should never ask ourselves questions about whether we like the accused's skin colour, religion, sexual history or any other prejudicial factor before we examine the evidence against them and reach a deliberation.

Assange is innocent under those rules and they're the rules we decide the fate of citizens under.  Just because the US wants his vitals in a pickling jar, pour encourager les autres, because they are clearly prepared to rub the face of blind justice in the dirt, does not mean we should oblige them.  Quite the opposite, in fact. 

If we want to keep Justice and Law ideals that we voluntarily live under, we must respect them and ensure they are respected.  I doubt somehow that that is the goal of the administrations, both US and UK, currently and for that reason we should guard these precious traditions even more vigilantly.

Cuellar


Chollis


Pinball

I believe openness and transparency is the way forward to ensure that those who have power over us are held to account and don't do too much evil. Assange and Wikileaks forced this upon some very powerful, dangerous people, whose job is to kill other people, bottomline. He is going to pay a heavy price for this.

This whole issue was never about rape, because Assange didn't commit rape (he failed to wear a condom, not considered rape outside Sweden), and moreover the charge was dropped. It was always about US extradition, which is why he bolted into the embassy (very creative, and never done before).

I support Assange.

Bence Fekete

Bravo people.

The rape claims are pure shitshow. He's agreed multiple times to a trial in Sweden if they promise not to extradite. If the authorities actually, genuinely gave a rat's arse about the women then they could've easily made that their #1 priority and nobody would or could've complained.

What would you do? Say he was guilty of actual rape. Wouldn't you want to see him charged and convicted of that rather than this clearly bogus US indictment which we all know is just an excuse to supress whistleblowing? Because watch it all mysteriously go away once extradicted. There's zero justice for rape or sexual assault victims here without a conviction for the crime itself. 

Bence Fekete

Did anyone follow the Silk Road trial? They basically used this exact same tactic.

They (FBI) had to create this impression that this geeky kid was actually Heisenberg incarnate ordering hits on the competition in order to establish a level of threat. So they set up a scenario, posed as hit-men, and got him to agree to murder. The charges were immediately dropped when it came to trial, of course, but it's main purpose was to create this impression of a very dangerous person (rather than a hacker) in the eyes of the courts and the general public. It works.

Cuellar

Quote from: Bence Fekete on February 26, 2020, 04:33:25 PM
He's agreed multiple times to a trial in Sweden if they promise not to extradite.

Is that a thing, in law? Can you promise that?

Buelligan

Not sure but, let's be fair, it would look pretty cunty, even for the Home of the Brave, if they publicly gave their word and then reneged on the whole thing.

Just as an aside, this thread prompted me to remember a time when people didn't even think the Guardians of the Free World would stoop to rendition.  Imagine that.  We actually believed that our democracies were better than that.

Bence Fekete

Quote from: Cuellar on February 26, 2020, 04:45:56 PM
Is that a thing, in law? Can you promise that?

You can do anything these days.

Cuellar

Right. I don't see why Sweden is seen as an easier touch, extradition wise, than the UK either.

Zetetic

Quote from: Cuellar on February 26, 2020, 04:51:51 PM
Right. I don't see why Sweden is seen as an easier touch, extradition wise, than the UK either.
And even if it were, Sweden would still need to obtain permission from the UK.

Quote from: Cuellar on February 26, 2020, 04:45:56 PM
Is that a thing, in law? Can you promise that?
I think that the Government of Sweden could give their word, but I'm not sure that they could actually do so in a way that would be binding, and they're disinclined to do so (since this essentially involved prejudging a hypothetical request for extradition).