The couple of letters under the headline of ‘In Defence of Julian Assange’ contained some curious statements in an attempt to justify the unjustifiable.
Marc Westley brings up the old classic, that of a ‘rarely cited quirk’ in Swedish law which allows for men that don’t wear, or remove, a condom during sex to be charged with rape. This is false. The practice is called ‘stealthing’ and is totally separate to the charge of rape. In any case this is only on the books in the UK, NZ, Germany and Canada (according to wikipedia), Sweden has no laws at all regarding ‘stealthing’ or rape referring to condom use. Rare indeed.
It’s also stated that the US loaned (?) Ecuador $24 million to get them to move him, when his extremely erratic behaviour made the Ecuadorian mob virtually push him out the door.
And the two women involved went ‘on record’ that they were solicited to lodge a complaint so these non-existing laws could be enacted. Seems impossible to enact laws that don’t exist – don’t you reckon Marc? Also, the statute on the rape charge expired in 2017 (Guardian Nov 2019), and for that reason only were the charges withdrawn.
Julian Assange was charged with rape (illegal sexual penetration) of two women on two separate occasions. He alone decided he was above the law and wouldn’t face the Swedish investigation despite the legal conspiracy theories you may believe. That’s on his head, regardless of his supporters’ views, many of whom subscribe to the theory the women involved are liars.
He is in jail because of his evasion of the law, not because he leaked videos of what others were sent to jail for.
Finally to compare Assange to Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela is beyond laughable, but is consistent with the one-eyed zealotry apparent in the region. Many progressives in the area are extremely reluctant to think that their hero could be capable of such a thing but, to be sure, stranger things have happened. Some [just] outright lie in his defence. You cannot criticise Assange without expecting a huge backlash. No one is above the law except Assange. I agree he is being treated harshly, but you must face consequences when you have been accused of a despicable crime. As I stated in my last letter, you reap what you sow.
So, following your logic, Julien Assange got what he deserved (essentially prolonged and gradual death by psochological torture and murderous living conditions) because he may have “stealthed” a woman who agreed to sleep with him? The key word been “may have” which also implies, “may not have”.
And because he is not Nelson Mandela or MLK .
Well, if truth be told, neither Mandela nor MLK were exactly saints either but they were, like Assange, imperfect human beings who fought courageously for justice for mankind.
Pinochet would have loved you.
Dear John Donnellan. While claiming to counter the perceived misinformation of another you have inadvertently pushed long debunked misinformaton. Julian Assange was never ever charged with rape at all ever!!! It never got any further than a preliminary investigation even though Assange presented him self to the Swedish police. This is a long established fact even though even the ABC can sometimes be heard to parrot this old narrative. This is the second time I have seen your letter published full of debunked smears. Will you please read the UN Rapporteur on Torture Prof Nils Melzer’s book “The Trial of Julian Assange”? If only that you might stop embarrassing yourself and spreading confusion. This book is the definitive account of the ten year long persecution of Julian Assange. It lays out the facts and why you should care even just for your own sense of self preservation. Not even Melzer’s critics have attempted to challenge him on the facts he presents. If you are not a reader you can get it on audio book. I did not realise quite how corrupt the judicial systems of western “democracies” could be until I followed the Assange case. I have read the US indictment, witness statements, court transcripts, that awful guardian journalist’s book, Melzer’s book and countless articles from the full spectrum of publications. All roads lead to the fact that the criminals are making it a crime to report in their crimes and our very democracy is at stake – which is more important than anyone’s ego whether that be yours or Assange’s.
“Curious” statements on Assange John?, more like “incomprehensible” are coming from the “local Assange fan club”, surely these people can’t be serious, but I’m getting a distinct feeling they are. We are being inundated with so called ‘facts”, along with some ripper conspiracy theory’s supposedly proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that this germ Assange is as innocent as Mother Theresa and the CIA is gunning for him, who knows strange things do happen. But the point is that if the legal system allows this bail jumping con man to evade his day in court, these “facts” will never be properly scrutinized in a court of law and what sort of message does this send to any potential future hackers of sensitive information?, just galvanize enough public opinion and evade custody for long enough and eventually you’ll walk free, I don’t think so these crimes are indeed very serious.
Dear Keith,
If you are interested in knowing facts, I suggest you read UN Rapporteur on Torture Prof NIls Melzer’s book “The Trial of Julian Assange”. None of Melzer’s (or even Assange’s) critics have attemted to or succeeded in countering his factual claims on this persecution and why it effects you and me and anyone who cares about democracy, a free press and the rule of law. Maybe you can be the one to read it and write a factual dot point which counter’s what appears to me, and anyone else who has read it, to be the definitvie record of this case. Or maybe you like your opinion too much?
Dear Carrie,
I am only interested in real facts that can be argued in a court of law, and to see people who systematically evade capture to have their day in court. The court of “public opinion” is always fraught with danger as “facts” can be so easily manipulated, I think you and your followers need to do some serious rethinking.
So your whole point is that you believe the courts and those in position of power are uncorruptable? I dare you to read Nils Melzer’s book. The same empire which sought to evade the jursistiction on international law when it invaded Iraq is colluding with lackeys to make it a crime to report on their crimes.
Not sure of this leading and following business you speak about?
Dear Keith,
Did you know that in the Secret Espinaonge court in Alexandria where Assange is being sent has a 100% conviction rate? The jury pool are made of of military and CIA personnel. Anyone in the know, know that there is no chance of winning your case in that court. Assange cannot claim a public interest defence under the Espionage act and since it would not be a public court and since no details of proceeding can ever be shared publically we will never know if “justice” happened at all. The Espinonge Act has never before been used for journalistic activity. Publishing public interest truths is not espionage unless your consider the public a state enemy… do you think the general public are the state’s enemy???? Pompeo has already claimed that our Australian citizen will not get 1st Amendment rights even though he never published in the US or was in the US at the time of publishing or receiving info. Even Barnaby Joyce speaks eloquently on the dangers this extradition poses for Australians. This is well beyond Assange as a person. His freeedom is our own, the precedent makes it so.
And there was no hacking. Chelsea Manning had full access to all the documents she shared. No hacking happened. None of the documents in question were hacked. You might like to read the Stundin article interviewing the US prosecution key witness to the idea that Assange encouraged hacking. Siggi Thordarson admitted that he lied for the US indictment for imunity…. usually that, plus the fact that spying on Assange’s legal team goes back to the USA and evidence the CIA had plans to kidnap or kill Assange would get a case thrown out, like Daniel Elsberg’s case. https://stundin.is/grein/13627/
Pleas list precisely the crimes that Julian Assange committed and why they are different to any other good investigative journalist. Remembering the fact that not one of the docs in questioned were hacked as they did not need to be.
Dear Keith,
If you are interested in knowing facts, I suggest you read UN Rapporteur on Torture Prof NIls Melzer’s book “The Trial of Julian Assange”. None of Melzer’s (or even Assange’s) critics have attemted to or succeeded in countering his factual claims on this persecution and why it effects you and me and anyone who cares about democracy, a free press and the rule of law. Maybe you can be the one to read it and write a factual dot point which counter’s what appears to me, and anyone else who has read it, to be the definitvie record of this case. Or maybe you like your opinion too much?
Seriously, just who do you people think you are, are you and your supporters part of some divine higher world legal authority that has sole access to “factual” information and the sole ability to validate that information, that us mere mortals do not; and then oversee and hand down judgements after declaring that the “normal” democratic legal system is somehow corrupt and unable to fairly adjudicate? Assange may or may not be guilty of what ever he is accused of, it is for a court of law to decide, not a mob of amateur legal experts who are being “sucked-in” with a very experienced con-mans sob story after getting caught “allegedly” selling or supplying classified information to our enemies, evading justice in Sweden and the US for years and jumping bail in the UK, all very serious offences indeed.
Please list precisely the crimes that Julian Assange committed and why they are different to any other good investigative journalist. Remembering the fact that not one of the docs in questioned were hacked as they did not need to be.
Dear Carrie
You just don’t get it do you, I’ll have one last try, it’s not for you or me to judge whether Assange is guilty or not, that is for a court of law to decide, and I have no intention of “debating” anything with you, because if you don’t get it by now you are highly unlikely to ever get it. You and your gullible rusted on followers just don’t see how easily you all are being manipulated.
Iam Egyptian . I feel that the Zionist Americans will reveal dangerous secrets about the British Royal family if king of England “Charles” send ” Julian Assange” to Australia.
“Julian Assange” participated in reducing the power of USA in Saudi Arabia and the middle east and Africa by showing original movie clips of U.S soldiers killing Iraqi civilians and secret U.S diplomatic documents
The Egyptian political responsibles and famous international journalists ” Hamdedn Saba7ee” , “lotfy zakaria ” , “Ahmed Ibrahim ” and ” Mohamed Abdel hameed” and president of Mexico are very worried about the health of ” Julian Assange”
12 th Dec.2022