Julian Assange Will Be Granted Asylum, Says Ecuadorean Official

[struggle4progress]

32. I live thousands of kilometers from Sweden and was nowhere near Sweden at the time of the

Last edited Tue Aug 14, 2012, 06:05 PM - Edit history (1)

alleged criminal events. I do not know any of the parties involved. I was not involved in any portion of the investigation. I am in no position to sort out carefully what the exact allegations are or how credible the various individuals involved are. I have no substantial familiarity with the Swedish language, current Swedish dating customs, Swedish law, or Swedish criminal procedure. So I am in no position to sort out what happened and when or whether a crime occurred under the laws of Sweden (and, if so, how serious a crime)

For these reasons, and others similar, I should best regard this as a matter best handled by the local authorities. I know that many people believe that, simply by having internet access and being able to read claims on the internet, we all thereby become experts in the lives and characters of ordinary people thousands of miles away and so have some duty to enlighten everyone with our opinions about their affairs. I reject this point of view, regarding it as as conceited, insensitive, and uninformed. Who opinionates, on the internet, about what did or did not happen in this case, is a blowhard

The fact is that Swedish authorities attempted to negotiate a second interview with Assange, through his lawyer, and that while they were negotiating the interview Assange fled Sweden. Swedish authorities believed they had negotiated an interview with him on a particular date of return to Sweden, but Mr Assange did not return to Sweden on that date. Swedish authorities therefore issued an international warrant, indicating that rape was one of the offenses involved. The UK courts examined the matter carefully and upheld the warrant. The issue, according to both the Swedish authorities and the UK courts, therefore now belongs to the Swedish criminal justice system. I have no need to hold an opinion on what the proper outcome in Sweden should be: nowhere in the world do decent people attempt to decide such cases primarily by public opinion, as some Assange supporters want us to do in this case