UK pressured not to overlook Swedish claims to Assange

Why are politicians such petty, vindictive creatures? Thanks in part to these MPs the UK is falling apart while all they can do is obsess over Assange's past pecadillos. I, like everyone else, don't know what happened between him and the two women, but it appears that all the Swedes involved have lost interest in the case. Those prurient MPs should let it rest and get on with the more serious matter of saving the people they are paid to serve.

The Swedes are the only country who may have a valid claim on Assange.

Does Sweden torture its prisoners? If so, Assange should be sent to the US.

Very strange that Wikileaks doesn't have anything against Russia or Trump. Hmm...

I would not put Snowden and Manning in the same group as Assange. For one, I don't think the former two ever smeared dirty things on the walls.

British lawmakers are heaping pressure on the government to make sure that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange faces Swedish justice if prosecutors there reopen a rape investigation against him.

British politicians are free to lobby the government for a certain course of action, but it's up to the courts to decide whether the U.S. request for Assange's extradition — and a possible future request from Sweden — should be honored.

Are these politicians actually demanding that the British government honor a Swedish extradition request THAT DOES NOT CURRENTLY EXIST?

wipeout - No.

According to the article:

More than 70 British lawmakers signed a letter late Friday urging Home Secretary Sajid Javid to "do everything you can to champion action that will ensure Julian Assange can be extradited to Sweden in the event Sweden makes an extradition request."

Actually, the answer is a resounding "YES".  Even the article's author acknowledges that a Swedish extradition request DOES NOT CURRENTLY EXIST.

Julian Assange

Hillary: "He must answer for exposing my crimes."

LOL. Has Sweden re-opened the remaining rape case against Assange? Has Sweden re-issued an arrest warrant for Assange's extradition to Sweden? Have more than 70 British lawmakers signed a letter urging the Home Secretary to do everything he can to champion action that will ensure Julian Assange can be extradited to Sweden IN THE EVENT SWEDEN MAKES AN EXTRADITION REQUEST?

wipeout - A European Arrest Warrant is (to the concern of many) a pretty binding document. The country to which the request is made is not entitled to sift the merits of the charges brought; they are expected - required, basically - merely to comply with the request.

While the country issuing an international warrant may want/wish/demand that another county merely comply with every warrant request, that is simply not the case in the real world. Every nation would examine every international warrant they receive to see if the warrant meets their own standards, and only then will they agree to detain the subject of the warrant.

Sweden's warrant for Assange expired when Sweden closed the file for Assange's second rape accusation. If Sweden re-issues a warrant for Assange, it will up to the British government to decide which, if any, international warrant they chose to honor. Until then, only the U.S. has an outstanding/active warrant for Assange's extradition.