Let the court decide.
Eighteen months ago when Julian Assange was first charged with sexual assault charges in Sweden I wrote this:
Many “truth-to-power” Liberals are anxious to make a hero of Julian Assange. But what if our hero is indeed a rapist? Can we separate the important U.S. government lack-of-transparency disclosures provided by WikiLeaks from the felonious actions of its founder?
There are two women in Sweden who allege that they were sexually assaulted by Mr. Assange. Today, some Liberals are trying hard to establish the fact that these two women are actually the guilty parties, and that Julian Assange is the victim of their (and the right-wing conspirators’) attempt to smear him.
But, what if these women are correct? What if Julian Assange is indeed guilty of sexual assault?
Normally, Lliberals recognize the biases that exist in this country when a male celebrity is charged with sexual assault. From the sexual escapades of Kobe Bryant to Bill O’Reilly, we have always felt that it is the insensitive middle-aged male conservatives who tend to side with the male perpetrator (“She asked for it!"). Should we switch our views in regard to Assange simply because he is a Liberal?
Can we say, “Hypocrisy?”
According to the sketchy police reports that have been released to date, one of the accusers alleges that she let Assange stay in her apartment while she was away. When she returned home early, she agreed to let him stay a few days longer. That evening she was awakened to find Assange on top of her. The other accuser reported similar unsolicited advances.
Granted, there are many suspicious details coming out of the heavily redacted reports, but separating truth from fiction is precisely the reason why we have courts of law.
Months ago, when a Swedish prosecutor filed the initial charges against Assange, Swedish authorities quickly retracted the charges saying that they needed more evidence. After compiling significant sworn testimony, they re-opened the investigation. The Swedish authorities would not have done this unless they felt that they had enough evidence to take this case to trial.
At the end of the day, Julian Assange’s innocence or guilt can only be proven in a Swedish courtroom. Let's hope that this trail takes place.
With the UK court's okay of Assanges's extradition this week, it appears that his trial is close to taking place. And it should take place. Let’s let the Swedish courts decide whether Julian Assange is innocent or guilty of sexual assault.
Some bloggers have been trying desperately hard to link these charges with the attempt by the U.S. government (and others) to bring Assange to trial for other charges. This is not the case. Assange will eventually be tried for his alleged personal offenses in Sweden.He will rightfully have his day in court.
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Alysa Salzberg
Cenk Uygur
Oryoki Bowl
Robert Greenwald
Frank Michels
Kent Pitman
Salon.com
Comments
The only trouble is that he is too smart .He might have a lot more in peto than some governments would like.
Rated
His lawyer, Mark Stephens, said: "We have seen Hamlet without the princess. We have seen a prosecutor who has been ready to feed the media with information but has been unprepared to come here and subject herself to the cross-examination she knows she cannot withstand."
Apparently she wants to hide about 100 text messages between the victims "discussing their revenge" on him for sleeping with them both. When you invite a man to stay at your apartment and you do not lock your bedroom door... that's not exactly an invitation, but I do not recall any of them saying, "no sex, it's just a place to crash."
Hell has no fury, even in Sweeden
This is called democracy. And Sweden is one of the most democratic natiions on the planet.
Of pulling back the curtain of secrecy, and exposing the evil that is the US government? For having courage in the face of a sick twisted criminally insane government? For having integrity? Bradley Manning is a prime example of the phsyosociopathological mentality of our sick "leaders".
I agree with Mr. Greenwald.
" That there is now a flurry of recent activity at exactly the time when it was known the British Supreme Court would issue its extradition ruling — suspected WikiLeaks supporters being aggressively accosted by the FBI while Hillary Clinton is now meeting with top officials in Sweden — adds to the reasonable suspicion that the U.S. is seeking to exploit Assange’s extradition to Sweden as a means of bringing him to the U.S. to face prosecution under espionage charges. That this administration has an unprecedented fixation on secrecy and prosecuting whistleblowers — while key Democratic Senators such as Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein have publicly called for Assange’s prosecution for espionage — makes this all the more likely."
"It’s vital that this not be permitted to happen. Whatever one’s discomfort with Assange’s supposed personal flaws, that must not deter anyone from standing against what would truly be an odious indictment for the publication by WikiLeaks of critical information in the public interest. Last December in The Guardian, I argued that Bradley Manning deserves a medal, not imprisonment, if he actually did what he is alleged to have done."
Assange deserves a fair trial. If he did the sexual crimes he should be punished. But the shameless and diabolical war criminals like Obama and Clinton want his scalp and are determined. Justice and truth has little to do with their M.O. Of course, now Obama could and probably would DRONE him if he could covertly do it, or hell, after election, overtly do it, Obama is so bottom-dwellingly evil. best, libby
If america is not allowed to stick their filthy fingers into the Swedish legal system , he will be found innocent.
GREAT topic, Steven.
-R-