Confused Assange in UK court ahead of extradition hearing

They didn’t. And you are clearly unaware of the details, yet still consider yourself knowledgeable enough to speak on the subject.

I listened to a three hour podcast with him the other day that was extremely enlightening. I suggest you do to, because your comments are not in line with the reality of the situation.

Sorry, I'm not going to just take his word alone for what happened when he arrived in Russia. I highly doubt he would freely admit to treason.

I'm sure Assange could talk for hours about how he didn't rape anyone or help Manning break the law too. That doesn't make it true.

And you criticize him for running from corrupt prosecution.

I criticize him for running to one of America's greatest enemies to hide from prosecution. Running straight to Russia after stealing government secrets from the American government is not the move to make if you want to show the world you are only an innocent whistleblower.

If he is not a traitor, then he is an idiot and I guarantee Russia didn't welcome him on goodwill alone. I don't care what he told Joe Rogan.

Sure. That doesn’t change the fact that the government does not allow a defence of the crime, so there can be no fair trial.

Good thing I wasn't arguing it did.

Sure. That doesn’t change the fact that the government does not allow a defence of the crime, so there can be no fair trial.

They are only allowed to argue that the crime either did or didn’t happen.

I think you meant the act either did or did not occur. For a crime to occur, all elements must be shown to have happened: the act and the mental state are two examples of elements, but I'm grossly oversimplifying.

Imagine killing someone in protection of your family, but at your trial you are not allowed to argue any justification such as self defence. You can only argue that you did or didn’t do it - and you did it.

This example demonstrates you understand it's the act being argued over, not the crime.

For example, did you know there are a set of laws in the US in which the defendant is not allowed to make a defence at trial? They are only allowed to argue that the crime either did or didn’t happen. Imagine killing someone in protection of your family, but at your trial you are not allowed to argue any justification such as self defence. You can only argue that you did or didn’t do it - and you did it.

Snowden has been charged with these types of crimes. It’s literally impossible for him to get a fair trial as he is not allowed to argue in defence of himself. And you criticize him for running from corrupt prosecution.

he chose to flee to Russia to be used as a publicity tool. As much as I hate Manning, at least he didn't run into the hands of an enemy for protection. It's naive to think that the Russians didn't get their hands on everything Snowden stole in return for asylum and that is treason.

They didn’t. And you are clearly unaware of the details, yet still consider yourself knowledgeable enough to speak on the subject.

I listened to a three hour podcast with him the other day that was extremely enlightening. I suggest you do to, because your comments are not in line with the reality of the situation.

https://youtu.be/efs3QRr8LWw

@zichi

I was replying to a comment made by arrestepaul and directed my post to him. I was contesting the claim by arrestpaul that Assange fled from Sweden, which wasn't true.

So there was no wow as you said.

He left the country and refused to return to face the charges, ultimately hiding out in a foreign embassy to avoid being arrested. I'd say 'fleeing' is a pretty accurate description.

Snowden blew his chance for legitimacy when he chose to flee to Russia to be used as a publicity tool. As much as I hate Manning, at least he didn't run into the hands of an enemy for protection. It's naive to think that the Russians didn't get their hands on everything Snowden stole in return for asylum and that is treason.

Assange and his side-kick, the extremely naïve Edward Snowden, who passed through Chinese immigration and had Chinese intelligence scoop up the entire contents from his laptop, as he made his way to that bastion of freedom, Vladimir Putin's Moscow, are no heroes!

Snowden is. I just listened to a three-hour conversation with him yesterday on the Joe Rogan podcast. The guy exposed corruption in the US government, where they were directly convening the US constitution, using a law that they wrote in private, and hid from Congress (and indeed, the entire government). Even after Bush II got caught illegally wiretapping the populace in 2007, and supposedly shut down the program, they continued it even knowing it was illegal.

If you listen to Snowden, he wasn't naive. He knew what he was doing, and he took that hit as a patriotic American, who had loyalty to the American people over the American government.

The guy is a hero. Obama sold him out to dry. Trump continues to let him hang.

He's only in prison for jumping bail and does not need to be placed in a max prison.

Nope, that sentence has finished. He is now being detained pending an extradition order. He is a flight risk.

In Assange, we have someone who is flighty, borderline psychotic or simply another member of the voyeuristic, Instagram me-me, as excitable as the African bush warthogs on-heat during breeding season!

Assange and his side-kick, the extremely naïve Edward Snowden, who passed through Chinese immigration and had Chinese intelligence scoop up the entire contents from his laptop, as he made his way to that bastion of freedom, Vladimir Putin's Moscow, are no heroes!

R.I.P Assange = Rot In Pieces Assange!

@zichi

In August 2010 the Swedish investigators closed their case and told him he was free to leave. ]

Wow. You've left out quite a few important details that happened after that. But sure, leave it at that. Don't bother to mention the parts where they reopened the case or when he ran and hid in the Ecuadorean embassy to avoid being arrested. Sure, Assange is an angel.

The thing is, this particular charge was added at a very late date, after they realized they had nothing else they could legitimately charge him with after all these years of hunting him down. Very dubious charges for a number of reasons, and too weak to extradite any normal suspect. But with Assange, all the rules are thrown out and the "special relationship" between spy agencies takes over.

There's quite a few more serious crimes that they wanted to charge him with but they are considered 'political' and are excluded from extradition agreements. That's why they are only charging him with computer fraud. He is accused of committing an extraditable offense, he can be extradited. What agencies are involved is irrelevant.

Assange's "crimes" pale beside those of that popular Nobel "Peace" Prize laureate and his accomplices who to paraphrase the Roman Tacitus, "made a desert and called it peace." Hypocrisy was ever the legal tender coined by the powerful to be spent by their fawning underlings.

You forgot to list the crimes he committed to expose this information.

A cabal of well heeled thugs can make anything illegal. You can't do anything against them they can't make a crime somehow. If its legal to cross the road, and they don't like it, they will make it illegal to step foot on the street.

The U.S. government would classify a memo about a simple stationary purchase. It does not classify things in the interest of the people.

Assange dumped to his website anything he could get his greedy paws on because he loved exposing any dirt he could find on anyone, regardless of who he hurt in the process.

America's military dumped on sovereign nations any bomb they could get their murdering paws on because they love warring on anyone, regardless of who they kill in the process.

This is one of the core reasons why Manning, Snowden and Assange worked together doing exactly what they had to do to be successful whistleblowers against the most arrogant, self-righteous and rogue government on planet Earth. Not surprised someone would forget all the actual death of totally innocent people to focus on the death that never happened of willing players in that game of sanctioned murder. But I am surprised that some people actually listen and buy into it.

He's being charged with assisting Manning steal the classified documents. He helped Manning get past the password protection on them. 

The thing is, this particular charge was added at a very late date, after they realized they had nothing else they could legitimately charge him with after all these years of hunting him down. Very dubious charges for a number of reasons, and too weak to extradite any normal suspect. But with Assange, all the rules are thrown out and the "special relationship" between spy agencies takes over.

A man whose only crime was to expose war crimes and other criminal activities of ruling elites. Sadly, justice will most likely not be served for Mr. Assange.

You forgot to list the crimes he committed to expose this information.

A man whose only crime was to expose war crimes and other criminal activities of ruling elites. Sadly, justice will most likely not be served for Mr. Assange.

He's being charged with assisting Manning steal the classified documents. He helped Manning get past the password protection on them. If he assisted in the commission of a crime that happened on US soil, he can be tried for it.

That makes sense.

I don't see how he should be bound by US law, not being a US citizen, and not living on US soil. The US is overreaching by trying to prosecute him.

He's being charged with assisting Manning steal the classified documents. He helped Manning get past the password protection on them. If he assisted in the commission of a crime that happened on US soil, he can be tried for it. If they can prove it, it's not that out of the ordinary.

What'sHisName has already proved he cannot be trusted to be released, or kept in a less secure prison.

He has probably forfeited his claim to bail, but I doubt he needs to be kept in a maximum security jail. He is not going to tunnel out or physically assualt the guards.

While I don't like Assange, nor particularly agree with what he has done, I don't see how he should be bound by US law, not being a US citizen, and not living on US soil. The US is overreaching by trying to prosecute him. This is as much an overreach as China trying to tell other countries how maps should be drawn etc.

No not all people who jump their bail are held in max security prison so it because he's Assange. He could be held at a Cat C prison

Sure, just leave out how after he jumped bail, he hid in a foreign embassy for six years. You evade capture for six years after skipping out on bail, you don't get off easy. Assange or not.

Assange did all of this to himself, stop trying to make excuses for him.

zichi - No not all people who jump their bail are held in max security prison so it because he's Assange.

What'sHisName has already proved he cannot be trusted to be released, or kept in a less secure prison.

Julian Assange? What is that? The answer to a trivia question? What was the name of the 2-time rapist from Australia who escaped Swedish justice by fleeing the country?

@superlib

Let him rot. He included a lot of collateral damage with his releases, something he didn't have to do, but I suspect he enjoyed immensely.

You and I don't agree on much, but you nailed it here.

A real 'whistleblower' exposes specific truths to because they believe it will ultimately help people. Assange dumped to his website anything he could get his greedy paws on because he loved exposing any dirt he could find on anyone, regardless of who he hurt in the process.

He wanted to watch the world burn and he wanted to help light the match. Now he can do it from a prison cell window.

He's only in prison for jumping bail and does not need to be placed in a max prison.

You don't see the irony in your statement?

He already proved he cannot be trusted to be released, that is exactly why he is being held in high security.

Of the three whistleblowers, Julian Assange showed no concern for the little people he was putting in danger, and his behaviour since has been cowardly and less than honest, wasting huge amounts of people's time, expense and energy. As Luddite says above, if bailed he is likely to flee in an effort to escape justice again, going by his track record. If he dies in custody, it will be more his fault than anyone else's. Hard to feel sympathy for this guy.

Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden and many more lesser known imprisoned truth tellers formerly employed in the security organs of the US government have all rendered great service to humanity by exposing the crimes of government and military personnel who continue to enjoy egregious immunity from prosecution thanks to the immovable corruption of political power aided and abetted by the collusion of the media and judiciary, and also by the cruel indifference of too many citizens who have forgotten that they, too, have a responsibility to speak truth to power. For neglecting their duty to be vigilant they will not be forgiven by a future generation of free men and women whereas history will absolve all those truth tellers martyred for the courage of their convictions.

Memory loss eh? Do you think the next thing will happen is that Assange's solicitor will ask for the extradition order to be thrown out due to dementia?

Assange is living in the medical wing of Belmarsh due to his poor physical health, due to him choosing to live in room smaller than a prison cell for five years. He is receiving care and to claim otherwise would be a lie, if he is released on health grounds he would quickly disappear.

Let him rot. He included a lot of collateral damage with his releases, something he didn't have to do, but I suspect he enjoyed immensely.

Justice will be meade out to Assange

Public enemy #1,i am sure justice will be messed out to him swift and efficient

What did you expect when you picked fights with entire governments? 'Poor Julian' thought he could keep dumping classified information on the internet and it would never catch up to him. I'm glad someone finally decided to prove him wrong.

There's a big difference between a whistleblower and whatever Assange is.

So it's OK for governments to keep lying, cheating, stealing and waging wars based on false pretexts just because they're governments?

I think Assange did the right thing. Someone has to shine a light on these cockroaches, and its a terrible shame that Assange has to suffer for revealing the truth. But its hardly surprising that the governments are going after him. Nobody likes getting caught doing the wrong thing.

This is really no different to what happens to dissenters in Russia. Lock them up and slowly crush them until they are broken or dead. All at the behest of the Americans, who still blindly think they are the good guys who fight for freedom.

these people have unlimited resources, they have an unfair advantage," he said in a barely audible voice.

What did you expect when you picked fights with entire governments? 'Poor Julian' thought he could keep dumping classified information on the internet and it would never catch up to him. I'm glad someone finally decided to prove him wrong.

There's a big difference between a whistleblower and whatever Assange is.

Poor Julian Assange indeed. What's even worse is that the so-called "liberal" media has entirely turned it's back on him; a plague on their houses, forever.

Nice to see John Pilger still going strong. What a hero that man is!

Poor Julian Assange. US and UK establishment bullies have made his life miserable and will continue to persecute him 'till the death.

I hope that somehow he's miraculously freed.