Double standards? Sweden interviews 44 in London, but not Assange
Julian Assange is believed to have been ‘victimized’ by Swedish prosecutors following revelations that they interviewed 44 people in the UK, but refused to interview the WikiLeaks head in the Ecuadorian Embassy, where he has been for over three years.
A Freedom of Information request submitted by the Hazel Press news organization has revealed that Sweden has granted 44 requests to interview witnesses or suspects in the UK since 2010, the Press Association reports. This has led supporters of the WikiLeaks founder to claim that Assange has been “singled out,” as he has also agreed to be interviewed by Swedish prosecutors inside the embassy concerning sex allegations in the Scandinavian country.
A member of Assange’s legal team, Jen Robinson, says that a number of important questions have been raised, adding that “Julian hasn’t been charged, yet he is being punished.”
“First, they refused to take his testimony while he remained in Sweden. Then they refused to hear it in the UK, saying it was illegal to come here. Five years later, after being rebuked by their own courts, they say they’ll consider it,” she told the Press Association.
“Instead of hearing what he had to say, the prosecutor chose to cast a shadow of suspicion over Julian by seeking his extradition. We offered his testimony from London before the arrest warrant was issued, and have continued to offer it since.”
In March, the Swedish director of public prosecutions, Marianne Ny, agreed to question Assange on Ecuadorian embassy soil, as the sexual assault allegations reach the statute of limitations in August.
However, the meeting planned for June 17 was called off at the last minute, as Ny said Sweden had not received official permission from Ecuador to enter its London embassy. Assange scorned Ny’s decision, saying it was nothing more than “a public relations exercise.”
Meanwhile, UK human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said that by agreeing to interview 44 people in the UK, but not Assange, Sweden was “guilty of double standards and victimization,” adding they are “making an exception of him.”
“It is wrong to deny Assange the option to be interviewed in the UK, which has been extended to others and which he has been offering for five years,” the Press Association cited him as saying.
“The Swedish authorities are not applying the law about overseas interviews consistently and fairly. They are acting in an exceptional and discriminatory way towards Assange. Julian Assange has been in various forms of detention for five years, without ever having been charged with any offence. This amounts to pre-trial punishment and is a gross abuse of his human rights and the legal system.”
If Assange steps out of the Ecuador Embassy, he will be arrested and extradited to Sweden. Police officers are keeping a round the clock watch on the Australian’s refuge, which has already cost the British tax payer more than £12 million ($18.6 million).
“Will the Cameron government spend another £12 million to detain a person who hasn’t been charged, simply because Sweden refuses to make use of the mechanisms available to resolve Julian’s case?” Robinson asked.
The 43 year-old sought asylum in the embassy because he fears that his extradition to Sweden on suspicion of rape and sexual assault will lead to his transfer to the US, where he could face trial over WikiLeaks’ publication of classified US documents.
Assange denies Sweden’s accusations, calling them politically motivated. He claims that the ultimate goal of this legal process is to transfer him to the United States.
4 opmerkingen:
Who would want to rape Assange :(
So much violence so little love...
Next life, Ecuador! Ain't no next life! KARMA GET ON!
This pit the culprit!
Pain, crying, hurting, a love supreme. 1964
Who cares... I DO!
I love Ecuador!
It has environment.
Somehow I can relate though it might not compare. One thing I do know, haters gonna hate!
A year ago at the buurtcamping Amsterdam Oost I hugged and kissed an 8 year old boy that told me he played saxophone. I was wearing my Sonny Rollins T-shirt and was overwhelmed, the kid beautiful and charming . Some haters in the crowd were out to get me. Called the police to arrest a child molester. Unlike Julian I'm perfectly able to defend myself and the child that jumped on my lap after my invitation didn't suggest I was fondling his genitals as some of those people disgustingly suggested. Six police cars with many officerrs came to arrest me, I still had to receive a blow to my head from the mob alarmed by the molesting rumour that spread in no time. I was dizzy but found it hilarious.
I can tell you it was really frightening and as I said, for some reason hilarious at the same time. In jail for a night and a day I changed, not funny. It took them a year to decide there was no case, but it certainly did make me nervous and angry. It made me realise how fragile we are against false allegations and I feared for my reputation. In the end I was 'lucky' (well, not guilty) but I shouldn't have been arrested in the first place! It still bothers me to the most till today to realise how easy it is to condemn people over putative 'sexual acts' that didn't have anything to do with sexual acts at all whatsoever! Let alone molest or rape!
If this had happened to Julian it would have had him, or his character, killed for certain.
Now I'm outraged and feel hurt. Once you realise they're out to get you and they will use everything that's really dear to you to direct their anger, their frustration at you , I think I know, it must be easy to get engulfed in feelings of hate as well!
Little do they know about the power of true love! Corrupted people want revenge. Haters gonna hate. All I can think of is the blatant lies with which a 'suspect' is confronted and what's at stake, victimization. In my case it wasn't worth it to prosecute me but I'm not a public figure fighting corruption, privacy intrusion, blackmailing and secret operations that are in the way of justice, society, democracy and the right to know. Imagine, I can! Pain, I know! Of love I'm undeserving certain as I always was!
Alles van waarde is weerloos -- Lucubert
Waarbij ik zou willen wijzen op dat vooraleer men iets als waardeloos aanmerkt waarde gedefinieert dient te worden. In Julian Assange's geval is er geen zaak, zijn er slechts verdachtmakingen. Het is 'de toon' die gezet is. Die klinkt vals evenals iedereen die voor die muziek uit loopt. Ik kan het weten! Ik ben zelf muzikant!
Ik had niet het geringste idee :(
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