Assange held in London jail ahead of long legal fight

There was a report on NPR this morning about this guy too! He was reported to be carrying a large number of flash drives, Like they kind of were hinting that he was carrying the "data" of wikileaks (not substantiated)

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/apr/12/julian-assange-ecuador-arrests-man-with-alleged-links-to-wikileaks

C’mon, Assange, tell us who killed Seth and we’ll let you go.

Australian Assange can expect no justice from an Amerikan kangaroo court. The British judge, too, unable to control his personal bias by calling Assange a "narcissist", as if that had anything to do with the phony charges or had any bearing on the facts, gave a clear indication of the political show trials that await the man who revealed to the world Amerika's filthy linen. Press freedom and democracy are once again threatened by the sinister forces of the USUK governments aided and abetted by the fake information spewing out of the MSM. The British people must now stand up for real justice and block all attempts to extradite him to the bizarro planet of Trumplandia.

Lock him up.

His extradition to the US would present a huge conundrum for Trump.

If he really is such a defender of transparency, Assange should welcome a trial to defend his methods.

I find it very troubling that the US can have a non-US citizen arrested outside the US, for crimes against American law. The person is not in the jurisdiction of the US, nor are they a member of those bound by that law.

The UK is complicit in this. They should not be enabling this gross violation of rights.

@yubaru hinting that he was carrying the "data" of wikileaks (not substantiated)

Applaud using the caveat.

C’mon, Assange, tell us who killed

And in the same comments section, a contrast: unsubstantiated bombast intended soley to flame.

Trump probably would prefer he mains in Britain rather than have the media repeat what he said about Assange and Wikileaks.

Not just Trump. Hillary Clinton and the Dems should, but probably won’t due to our corporate MSM, be held up to the light as well.

Mane wasn’t there a threat by Wikileaks of a supposed “dump” of info if Assange was arrested? One guy was already arrested and some, even the cofounder I believe, have been bought off.

I find it very troubling that the US can have a non-US citizen arrested outside the US, for crimes against American law. The person is not in the jurisdiction of the US, nor are they a member of those bound by that law.

Yeah. So gay men in SanFran or women not wearing a headscarf can be arrested and extradited to Saudi Arabia for breaking their laws.

You are likely to hear, in the coming days, that the only charges that Assange can be tried on are those the American government makes to its close friend, the British government, and that is as true as Clinton's denial of 'sexual relations' with Monika Lewinsky (legally true, and a real world lie at the same time)

Just as legally, having someone perform oral on you does not meant the American definition of 'sexual relations' but is having sex with them, they will not be able to charge him criminally with anything they don't present to a British judge first, all they have to do is what they did to Chelsea Manning recently, issue a subpoena to testify, and then its off to jail if the answer they want is not forthcoming.

And that is assuming that the country that is scornful of its OWN laws that are politically inconvenient doesn't, as it is in the habit of doing, simply unilaterally rewrite the rules to provide itself with whatever exemptions to international and foreign laws it wants.

There could even be a new president before his extradition court is over. Trump probably would prefer he mains in Britain rather than have the media repeat what he said about Assange and Wikileaks.

I’m not the biggest fan of Assange, but at least he did shed a lot of light on how corrupt the Democrats really are. We always knew, but Hillary and her minions were off the charts. No wonder she hates the guy. Still wondering on what Assange will spill about Podesta.

Without Assange we might have never known how deeply corrupt the Dem party is with what they did to Sanders.

John Pilger is right on the ball as usual:

"Imagine Tony Blair dragged from his multi-million pound Georgian home in Connaught Square, London, in handcuffs, for onward dispatch to the dock in The Hague. By the standard of Nuremberg, Blair’s “paramount crime” is the deaths of a million Iraqis. Assange’s crime is journalism: holding the rapacious to account, exposing their lies and empowering people all over the world with truth."

"Assange’s principal media tormentor, The Guardian, a collaborator with the secret state, displayed its nervousness this week with an editorial that scaled new weasel heights. The Guardian has exploited the work of Assange and WikiLeaks in what its previous editor called “the greatest scoop of the last 30 years.” The paper creamed off WikiLeaks’ revelations and claimed the accolades and riches that came with them.

With not a penny going to Julian Assange or to WikiLeaks, a hyped Guardian book led to a lucrative Hollywood movie. The book’s authors, Luke Harding and David Leigh, turned on their source, abused him and disclosed the secret password Assange had given the paper in confidence, which was designed to protect a digital file containing leaked US embassy cables."

https://consortiumnews.com/2019/04/12/assange-arrest-a-warning-from-history/

@FizzBit

So gay men in SanFran or women not wearing a headscarf can be arrested and extradited to Saudi Arabia for breaking their laws

Exellent point.

I'd like to ask all "yeeee, lock him up" guys a couple of questions. Assange is not a US citizen, he did not swear an oath to protect US secrets, then why he is arrested for hurting US interests? Does this precedent give other countries rights to prosecute and arrest abroad any people they can charge with breaking their laws / hurting their interests? If not, then why?

The guy is just a publisher, but America wants to silence all journalists in any country in the world if reports are not first Censored and approved by the US govt. silence can mean extradition and incarceration, pyschologial torture, and in Assanges case, even the death penalty.

Remember MI5 violently invading the Guardian newspaper offices and destroying hard drives? UK, Canada, NZ and Australia moving or moved to censure the internet? Freedom of press and free speech are almost gone.

it seems war crimes are now OK, like the famous quote says “he who won the war, writes the history”.

Strangerland - I find it very troubling that the US can have a non-US citizen arrested outside the US, for crimes against American law. The person is not in the jurisdiction of the US, nor are they a member of those bound by that law.

The UK is complicit in this. They should not be enabling this gross violation of rights.

"Troubling"? Sweden, G.B., Canada, the U.S.A. and many other countries have long-standing treaties between themselves that cover capture, detainment, and return of criminal suspects who have violated a nations laws and then fled to another country.

Assange fled Australia, and abandoned his family that lived there. Assange fled Sweden to avoid answering questions about his raping two women. Assange next fled England for the majestic confines of the Ecuadorian embassy. Now Assange is back in England. For about a year. Since Sweden is now considering reopening the rape case, and the U.S. has a warrant for Assange, and all of these nations have treaties with each other allowing for extradition, it will be interesting to see which country legally extradites Assange first.

Sweden, G.B., Canada, the U.S.A. and many other countries have long-standing treaties between themselves that cover capture, detainment, and return of criminal suspects who have violated a nations laws and then fled to another country.

Assange didn’t flee to another country. His supposed crimes did not happen on US soil, and he is not a US citizen. Therefore the US has no moral jurisdiction over him.

For once I agree with both Fizzbit and Asakaze.

Goodlucktoyou - The guy is just a publisher,

Assange has been a computer hacker for decades. Assange also ran wikileaks with his friends. Wikileaks has been known hack government files. Even Ecuador has complained that Assange has been hacking into it's government files. I think Assange is going to have a difficult time claiming that he is "just" a publisher of information supplied to him by others.

Strangerland - Assange didn’t flee to another country. His supposed crimes did not happen on US soil, and he is not a US citizen. Therefore the US has no moral jurisdiction over him.

We're talking about Julian Assange. The one that was born in Australia. Also know to have visited Sweden, England, and Ecuador.

"Moral jurisdiction?" What is "moral jurisdiction"? Does that supersede a legal jurisdiction?

We're talking about Julian Assange. The one that was born in Australia. Also know to have visited Sweden, England, and Ecuador.

Again, the US is trying to have him extradited, for supposed US crimes that didn't happen on US soil, and he is not a US citizen.

"Moral jurisdiction?" What is "moral jurisdiction"? Does that supersede a legal jurisdiction?

It means that the US has no moral right to request him.

Nor do they even have a legal one. The only jurisdiction they have is "might makes right". The UK doesn't dare defy them.

A country can issue an International Arrest Warrant against any person of any nationality if they have evidence and proof they committed a crime.

They can, but that doesn't make it right.

If a person does not have the option to live on US soil, there is no moral justification to subjecting them to US law, unless they are on US soil.

Strangerland: these are interesting points. I personally think Assange pissed off the wrong people (those with the real power) in the U.S. (this transcends political party or ideology) and thus they are out to get him

He, as a non U.S. citizen, not bound by any security clearances, came across information and released it to the public. He exposed some very rotten and embarrassing things about those in power (including how Bernie Sanders was railroaded) in the U.S. The information he exposed is damaging to both parties and embarrassing for those entrusted to protect this data.

He did a very dangerous thing as these people, like the mafia of old, have very long memories.

On the other hand if he personally hacked into DoD computer systems, regardless of where he did it, is it a crime? I personally do not know.

In the end and as an American I do not think the U.S. has the right to extradite him.

Extradite his attention seeking butt to Sweden. Anyone reading his leaked emails can see a testament to his creepiness around ladies.

I realize the Russians applaud keeping women down but the international left should be ashamed of themselves proclaiming he should not have his day in court for serious sex crimes because of his so-called mission.

Thanks for the comments Tokyo-engr.

Responsibility without rights is dictatorship. Assange has no US rights, and therefore should have no responsibility to follow their law. Unless on US soil.

the international left should be ashamed of themselves proclaiming he should not have his day in court for serious sex crimes because of his so-called mission.

Who is saying he shouldn’t be extradited to Sweden?

Wonder of Assange will be the "unfortunate victim of a crime" in prison or if that would be too obvious.

The Sun tabloid reported he was being held in Wandsworth prison in south London, where he spent nine days in 2010 following an investigation over alleged sexual assault in Sweden that has since been dropped.

Deemed "the most overcrowded prison" in England at its last inspection in 2018, the 19th-century facility holds around 1,600 inmates.

Inspectors found "most prisoners share a cell designed for one person"

What's up with that?

Extradite his attention seeking butt to Sweden. 

What for? They've dropped the charges against him.

As a Westerner, I am deeply ashamed of such a political scandal. This man is punished for having revealed bad political habits and the initial charges of rape proved futile. They go after the one who tore the curtain. Democracy is sick.

Strangerland - Assange didn’t flee to another country.

Strangerland - Again, the US is trying to have him extradited, for supposed US crimes that didn't happen on US soil, and he is not a US citizen.

You said that Assange didn't flee to another country in spite of ample evidence to the contrary.

Hacking U.S. government, and political party files, are considered crimes committed on U.S. soil, regardless of where the hacker was located when the hacking occurred. You need to remember that Hillary is still very upset with Assange, and Wikileaks, for hacking, and for meddling in U.S. elections (mainly her own). I'm sure there are more than a few Hillary worshippers who are more than willing to testify as to Assanges crimes committed on U.S. soil.

Strangerland - They can, but that doesn't make it right.

If a person does not have the option to live on US soil, there is no moral justification to subjecting them to US law, unless they are on US soil.

There are a number of existing treaties that disagree with your moral objection.