Sweden aims to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the US - lawyer

[Swagman]

* Julian Assange's lawyer lashes out at Sweden
* Accuses authorities of cooperating with the US
* Swedish case was "holding case" to buy US time

JULIAN Assange's lawyer in Britain has accused Swedish authorities of secretly planning to extradite the WikiLeaks founder to the United States, in an interview with a German newspaper to appear on Thursday.

Lawyer Mark Stephens told the weekly Die Zeit that he believed Swedish officials were cooperating with US authorities with an eye to extraditing Assange as soon as the Americans have built a criminal case against him.

"We are hearing that the Swedish are prepared to drop the rape charges against Julian as soon as the Americans demand his extradition," he said, citing sources in Washington and Stockholm.

Mr Stephens called the Swedish charges against his client a "holding case" to buy time until the United States can prosecute him themselves over WikiLeaks' mass release of classified US documents.

He said Assange did not believe he would receive a fair trial in Sweden which was why he was fighting his extradition from Britain.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/features/wikileaks/sweden-aims-to-extradite-wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-to-the-us-lawyer/story-fn79cf6x-1225986764787#ixzz1AseZ7zs1

[Diclotican]

1. Swagman

Swagman

Nothing would suprise me, if Sweden was to extredate Mr Assage to US, and drop the sharges against him, as they are more and more looking phony and full of lies all the way to the bank...

But if Sweden indeed was to extredate mr Assage to US, withouth prowing his guilt when it came to the rape case, or the intend to rape or whatever the case are standing today, then Sweden have proven itself not to be a state of laws, but a country who can be pushed around to do the bidding of the US.. Not to say, they would have proven themself not to be nautral as they claim to be...

I hope more and more they who claim mr Assage was a rapist and sutch, would be asked to stand for a jugde, and claim official what they have claimed, and to go true the trial, and make the evidences speake for itself.. I for one, doubt anyone of them, would go back to the cort, and in fact claim what they accused mr Assage off, in a cort.. In a Cort you have to tell the truth, and if the truth is that they either was not telling the truth, or that they wanted to trap mr Assage in a "honey trap"... Then he might go home as a free man.. Even a zealot as the current AG can't overrule the laws as he/she pleases.. Not in Sweden anyway...

I hope mr Assage could get a fair trail in Sweden, as Sweden still are a country of laws.. But mr Asssage, if he ever was to wisit Sweden again, would be a hot potato for Swedens government, a hot potato the would be really happy to go away... It it not easy to have a hot potato like this, when you have a super power wanting him for hanging him for spying.. or whatever they want to trump up as sharges if he was ever to came to the US..

On the other hand, if mr Assage was ever to came to Sweden, it would be in many ways show where Sweden stand, when it came to some critical areas in their politic... Specailly the "natruality" thingy could show itself as it is... A shallow sea of dirt..

Diclotican

[stevenleser]

2. Not really.

Right now, virtually every country except Israel is angry at Assange and the Wikileaks crew (and supposedly the next round of releases will not be kind to Israel so you will be able to add them to the list). So, to say the Swedes are "doing the bidding of the US' is not correct. They are doing the bidding of themselves and around 150 other countries who cannot stand the guy.

Bottom line: Wikileaks and Assange should have stuck to specific instances of whistleblowing and not released hundreds of thousands of confidential diplomatic cables designed to embarrass every country out there for no good reason.

[Diclotican]

3. stevenleser

stevenleser

Wel, if you should take that path we should not know what government have been doing for the last 50-60- maybe 70 year before everyone of them who once had a finger into the case is died and burried.. But it is allways intersting to se how irritate many nations ARE about the leaks.. Mostly becouse the leaks, show a dirty underbelly in the "Nicy way of diplomatic" who for the most part ar less than stellar...

But still.. Mr Assage have the same right as all others to se their accusers, and also to have a fair trail, and not be extredated to a country where he 1 would not be given a free trail 2 risk the death penalty.. Sweden are also a country where you can not be sendt to a nation where they practice the death penalty.. And many in US, have told clearly that they want mr Assage everything bad.. In fact they have given him the death penalty all ready, regardness if the evidences against him was shown to be nothing..

I don't belive mr Assage to be a hero, not by a long shot.. But what he have shown, by leaking ten of thousands of secred diplomatic cables, is that our allies not allways says one thing in private, as they say in public.. It is interesting to se how contemt your then diplomatic ambassadør to Norway had, for the then norwigian prime minister, a conservative and a minister no less.. And mr Bondevik, was more or less sucking up to GWB all the way, and it was mostly becouse ressidance in our Parlament (stortinget) and in the public at large, that Norway was not part of the "coalisation of the willing".. Even tho it is rumored that US had equipment from Norway, in the early stages of the Iraq war..

Diclotican

[molly77]

4. Julian Assange is a hero.

When did the propaganda that it is ok for the govt. to spy on US as much as they want, but
WE shouldn't know what they are doing transition into fact?

There are a lot of trolls out.

[Diclotican]

5. molly77

molly77

Wel, as the old folks home allways was saying when I grew up... The truth wil allways came out, regarness of the smokeskcreen.. And the US government have been excelent in making smoke screens.. mr Assage is an danger to the present order, no doubt about it..He have blown up a cage the different government would love to keep locked for as long as posible.. Ten of thousands of cables between State Dep and the different otupost all over the world, from the early cold war to the pressent is now open for everyone who want or dear to read them..

And the trolls are out there doing what they want to do.. Even tho, I would say it is insult to the trolls to be mis-used by this persons there.. At least the trolls was not mean, just stupid when they did what they did... The modern trolls are just mean, and not stupid

Diclotican