Sky Breaking News: Assange Vows To Fight On After Bail Refusal

[maddezmom]

Source: Sky News

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has said he will fight moves to extradite him to Sweden after he was refused bail at a court appearance in London.

The 39-year-old Australian told City of Westminster magistrates he would refuse to return to Sweden where he is wanted for questioning on sexual assault charges.

¬snip¬



Read more: http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Julian-Assange-WikiLeaks-Founder-Meets-Police-In-Britain-Over-Sexual-Assault-Claims-In-Sweden/Article/201012115849036?lpos=UK_News_Carousel_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15849036_Julian_Assange%3A_WikiLeaks_Founder_Mee

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LONDON—WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was refused bail by a London court on Tuesday after Sweden issued a warrant for his arrest over allegations of sex crimes.

The 39-year-old Australian, who is at the centre of a row over the release of secret U.S. diplomatic cables, was arrested earlier on Tuesday by British police under a European arrest warrant after he appeared by appointment at a police station.

Assange, who denies the allegations, was remanded in custody until December 14.

more:http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/902665--julian-assange-denied-bail-by-u-k-court?bn=1

[MineralMan]

1. I suppose they consider him a flight risk.

That's probably the reason. He'll have a hearing soon.

[me b zola]

6. He turned himself in

I don't see how he could be considered a flight risk.

[maddezmom]

7. from The Independent:: Judge felt he might fail to to surrender.

District Judge Howard Riddle refused bail on the grounds there was a risk he would fail to surrender.


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/wikileaks-julian-assange-refused-bail-2153390.html

[MineralMan]

14. I'm not the one making those decisions.

I simply offered a possible reason for his being remanded to custody. I'm not involved in such decisions.

And, yes, people who turn themselves in often flee after they're released on bond. It happens all the time. That's why there are bail bond investigators, you know.

[Ian David]

2. I can finally sleep with my windows open again. n/t

[Iowa]

51. Ha! Great comment.

[mainer]

3. no bail for a crime punishable by $700?

Wow.

[thesquanderer]

10. $700?

Edit: I had asked for a reference for the figure, but I found it...

http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/sex-by-surprise-at-heart-of-julian-assange-criminal-probe/19741444

[Scurrilous]

4. No bail?

Fascists!

[maddezmom]

17. was just reading The Guardian and it said because the charge is rape

it's not all that unusual.

here is the link to a lot of different comments and opinions and the charges:

Gemma Lindfield, for the Swedish authorities, told the court Assange was wanted in connection with four allegations.

She said the first complainant, Miss A, said she was victim of "unlawful coercion" on the night of 14 August in Stockholm.

The court heard Assange is accused of using his body weight to hold her down in a sexual manner.

The second charge alleged Assange "sexually molested" Miss A by having sex with her without a condom when it was her "express wish" one should be used.

The third charge claimed Assange "deliberately molested" Miss A on 18 August "in a way designed to violate her sexual integrity".

The fourth charge accused Assange of having sex with a second woman, Miss W, on 17 August without a condom while she was asleep at her Stockholm home.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/blog/2010/dec/07/wikileaks-us-embassy-cables-live-updates

[defendandprotect]

55. The rape charges were dismissed by the Judge ... that Judge was REPLACED by this

Judge who reinstated the rape charge --

Kinda reminiscent of the switch of Judges in the Bill Clinton impeachment --

the first step in the entrapment! And that Judge was hand-picked by right wing

GOP - think it was Faircloath and not Jesse Helms, but the other bloated little fattie?


We also have the CIA connections to one of the women -- one who supported getting an

ex lover "in trouble with the law" -- and one involved in Christian politics. Both of these

women sought Assange's attention -- one inviting him to stay at her one-bedroom apt

for a week -- initially she was to be away, but returned much earlier!

We really need to know what other cases have been tried under this Swiss law -- what the

outcomes were -- what the alleged cirumcstances were. How often the law has been used.

Really looks more like this is the initial smear before US tries to press "terrorist" charges

on Assange.

[theaocp]

5. Well, they've done everything possible

to draw further attention and sympathy for WikiLeaks. Maybe they'll hang him publicly and make him a martyr next. :eyes:

[ananda]

9. Martyrdom it is.

That's exactly what I was thinking.

Assange makes a great martyr for all the ills of our corporocratic,
globalized society now.

[dgibby]

8. Wonder if he'll unleash the dogs now. n/t

[ProgressiveProfessor]

12. That is the real issue

There was some prior discussion of restricting his access to lawyers etc. Anyone know what came of that?

[goforit]

11. This reminds me of the movie..."PIRATE RADIO"

[bikebloke]

13. Good movie

Danger warning: It's chockablock full of earworm fodder. Especially if you grew up getting all your tunes from the radio.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

19. That movie was really phoney

I listened to Radio London etc back in the days of pirate radio and was disappointed in the movie.

[Bragi]

15. This is a set-up and an outrage /nt

[BadgerKid]

16. Like Clinton, it's about the sex...while BFEE remains free.

:shrug:

[Boudica the Lyoness]

18. He only gave them a PO box

address in Australia and not a street address in England, so he was considered a flight risk.

I still think the best (safest) place for him to be is the UK. He goes back to court on the 14th. Bail maybe set then.

He has got so much support and it's wonderful to see. People are sick of the secret squirrel club running the world.

[Downwinder]

20. Have to impress him with their authority over him.

[villager]

21. Assange Denied Bail; in custody at least until Dec. 14

Source: Sky News

Assange Vows To Fight On After Bail Refusal

The 39-year-old Australian has been remanded in custody after appearing before magistrates on an extradition warrant for questioning on sexual assault charges.

During the hearing, high profile supporters of Mr Assange - including film director Ken Loach, veteran journalist John Pilger and socialite Jemima Khan - offered a total of £180,000 bail surety.

Sky correspondent Paul Harrison, who was in court, said: "There were many generous offers of bail surety, but during the judge's summing up the bail application was denied on the grounds there was a risk he would fail to surrender."

Mr Pilger, who offered £20,000, said he had a "very high regard" for Assange as a journalist and personal friend.

He told City of Westminster Magistrates' Court: "I am here today because the charges against him in Sweden are absurd and were judged as absurd by the chief prosecutor there when she threw the whole thing out until a senior political figure intervened."

<snip>

Read more: http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Julian-Assange-WikiLeaks-Founder-Meets-Police-In-Britain-Over-Sexual-Assault-Claims-In-Sweden/Article/201012115849036?lpos=UK_News_Carousel_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15849036_Julian_Assange:_WikiLeaks_Founder_Meets

[villager]

22. delete

a glitch post!

[LaurenG]

23. I'm afraid they are going to torture him

The US no doubt will help him to decide he has no more cables to release.

[tpsbmam]

24. Enough to trigger using the insurance? n/t

[kpete]

25. Judge denies WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange bail

Source: Talking Points Memo/Associated Press

Judge denies WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange bail

UK judge jails Julian Assange ahead of extradition hearing as pressure mounts on WikiLeaks

CASSANDRA VINOGRAD and RAPHAEL G. SATTER
AP News

Dec 07, 2010 11:06 EST

A British judge denied Julian Assange bail on Tuesday after the WikiLeaks founder told a London court he would fight efforts to extradite him to Sweden to face a sex-crimes investigation.

The secret-spilling websites' finances came under increasing pressure as both Visa and Mastercard cut off funding methods, but a WikiLeaks spokesman insisted details from classified U.S. diplomatic cables would keep flowing — regardless of what happened to the group's founder.

"This will not change our operation," Kristinn Hrafnsson told The Associated Press. As if to underline the point, WikiLeaks released a cache of a dozen new diplomatic cables, its first publication in more than 24 hours.

Assange appeared Tuesday afternoon at the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court in London after turning himself in to Scotland Yard earlier in the day. He showed no reaction as Judge Howard Riddle denied him bail and sent him into U.K. custody.

Read more: http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2010/12/judge_denies_wikileaks_founder_julian_assange_bail.php?ref=fpb

[defendandprotect]

26. Judge denies WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange bail

Source: AP

By CASSANDRA VINOGRAD and RAPHAEL G. SATTER, Associated Press Cassandra Vinograd And Raphael G. Satter, Associated Press – 8 mins ago
LONDON – A British judge sent Julian Assange to jail on Tuesday, denying bail to the WikiLeaks founder after Assange vowed to fight efforts to be extradited to Sweden in a sex-crimes investigation.

udge denies WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange bail

Despite Assange's legal troubles, a WikiLeaks spokesman insisted the flow of secret U.S. diplomatic cables would not be affected. He also downplayed efforts to constrict the group's finances after both Visa and MasterCard cut off key funding methods Tuesday.

"This will not change our operation," spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson told The Associated Press. As if to underline the point, WikiLeaks released a dozen new diplomatic cables, its first publication in more than 24 hours, including the details of a NATO defense plan for Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania that prompted an indignant response from the Russian envoy to the alliance.

Assange turned himself in to Scotland Yard on Tuesday morning, and was sent to the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court in the early afternoon. He showed no reaction as Judge Howard Riddle denied him bail and sent him to jail until his next extradition hearing on Dec. 14.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101207/ap_on_hi_te/wikileaks

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DENIED BAIL ... !!! ?????????

[TygrBright]

27. Denial of bail is defensible in a case like this.

IF Assange were a rapist (I don't believe he is, but theoretically speaking) he has already demonstrated that he is a flight risk. A judge is justified in denying bail to someone who has clearly demonstrated they are a flight risk.

Now, is it reasonable that he's been arrested AT ALL?

Is it reasonable that he should be extradited for such dodgy charge, with so much political interference in the process?

That is an entirely different matter.

In any case, at this point they are clearly escalating the InfoWar.

We will see what develops from those who believe that information wants to be free.

speculatively,
Bright

[snagglepuss]

28. What is concerning is that Guardian quotes legal experts who say

these charges make extradition likely, that extradition is hard to fight when faced with these charges.

[elias49]

37. I don't believe anyone has accused him of rape. nt

[msanthrope]

41. Rape, sexual molestation, and unlawful coercion are the accusations lodged by Sweden. n/t

[ChairmanAgnostic]

50. HE IS NOT CHARGED WITH RAPE, dammit.

A CIA agent was sent to fuck him over. They had consensual sex. She claimed the condom broke. Period.

[defendandprotect]

56. Who supplied the condom .... hmmm .... and other questions like ....

how many times has this law been used in Sweden -- how many charged --

specific charges -- what penalties were applied -- what was the outcome?

And what influence is US government having on any of the nations?

[elias7]

29. Really not a surprise

He's certainly a flight risk.

[Matariki]

30. Jailed for not using a condom.

Right.

[msanthrope]

31. Actually, for raping a sleeping woman, and pinning the other one down.

"Mr Assange faces two counts of sexual molestation, one count of unlawful coercion and one count of rape involving two women in Sweden in August.

In the most details yet released about the allegations, Ms Lindfield said that in the cases of both women the allegations related to him refusing to wear a condom during sex. He was also accused of having sex with one of the women by exploiting the fact that she was asleep, and another count said that he had held a woman's arms and forced open her legs so he could have sex with her."

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/wikileaks/assange-arrested-in-london/story-fn775xjq-1225967260554

If these allegations are true, it's a bit more than a broken condom.

[Matariki]

32. Well that story has changed. A lot.

And by changed, I mean from the police reports the woman originally made.

The whole thing is extremely smelly.

[msanthrope]

33. Do you have those police reports? Or just other people's

interpretation of them?

[Matariki]

34. They were published in a British paper. The Daily Mail, I think.

[msanthrope]

40. Really? Do you have a link? You read Swedish?

Or did the Daily Mail give translations?

[Matariki]

42. Yes, it was translated. I'll look for the link if you're too lazy.

[msanthrope]

49. Thank you, I await the police reports. n/t

[Violet_Crumble]

53. I'd also suggest you don't take what Murdoch rags say at face value...

You published a link to the flagship of Murdoch's media empire here in Australia. The RW editorial bias in his publications is well-known here, even if Americans aren't aware of how RW he is and that bias is reflected in his newspapers. Much more reliable newspapers that have been covering this are ones like The Guardian...

[defendandprotect]

36. Right ... I thought she said ....

next morning they moved to having sex and there was no condom.

[elias49]

43. Go ahead. Spread the bullshit if you must. nt

[fascisthunter]

44. He didn't rape anyone...

even the judge threw the case out and you know there is government pressure to shut him down and smear his ass, and you are helping. Predictable...

[kenfrequed]

45. "if these allegations are true..."

And if dinosaurs and people wandered the earth together at the same time.

These allegations keep changing... kind of like someone trying to pick a lock. I give no credence to any of these allegations until I read something solid about this. I just cannot believe that every time he puts forth more information suddenly another woman magically appears on the scene, who seems to have strange relations with the previous woman, who wrote a blog about using false rape-accusation as a means to getting revenge.

Sorry this is BS.

[The Flaming Red Head]

52. I used to wake up my sweetie with a bj is that rape?

nt

[Chan790]

54. In Sweden?

Yes, it really is. If he pressed charges, you would be arrested.

[Amonester]

35. So now, will they waterboard him?

What guarantee do we have that they won't? :grr:

Stay strong, Julian!

[defendandprotect]

38. I'm worried about his being in custody ... anything can happen .... and Australia disinterested???

[Matariki]

39. Agreed. They've got him in jail for a week.

It's worrisome.

[kgnu_fan]

47. Not having his computer might be tortuous for him... imagine that...

[Odin2005]

46. Slimy bastards!

:grr:

[Loge23]

48. AG Holden is on the case - "justice" is served!!

Holden was on the news this AM jabbering about something called "justice" in regard to the Wikileaks.
He should know all about that from his experience investigating the prior administration's abuses.

What's that?

There was no investigations?

Oh, sorry. Nevermind!

[defendandprotect]

57. Holder .... !! You had me confused for a moment with your typo.....

Yes -- I saw him babbling about something today --

Great points -- the administration that "saw no evil, heard no evil" and most

of all "spoke no evil" of W Bush and the torture gang!!

[Loge23]

58. Yikes! I forgot his name!

It's been a while since we've heard from him!
Thanks!