Julian Assange to be extradited to Sweden

[maddezmom]

Source: The Guardian

WikiLeaks founder handed verdict at Belmarsh magistrates court
Thursday 24 February 2011 11.23 GMT

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is to be extradited to Sweden to face allegations of rape and sexual assault.

Assange has been fighting extradition since he was arrested and bailed in December. He has consistently denied the allegations, made by two women in August last year.

Howard Riddle, the chief magistrate, delivered his ruling at a hearing at Belmarsh magistrates court in London. It is unlikely to be the end of the matter, however, because an appeal is expected, which would delay the final decision until the summer at the latest.

At a two-day hearing earlier this month, his legal team argued that Assange would not receive a fair trial in Sweden. They said the European arrest warrant (EAW) issued by Sweden was invalid because the Australian had not been charged with any offence and that the alleged assaults would not be legitimate extraditable offences.



Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/feb/24/julian-assange-extradition-sweden-verdict

---

from the Guardian live update page:
Ruling Assange loses the case. He has seven days to appeal or will be extradited to Sweden in 10 days.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/blog/2011/feb/24/julian-assange-extradition-decision-live-updates

The judicial authority in Sweden -v- Julian Paul Assange
City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court judgment
Sitting at Belmarsh Magistrates’ Court

The judicial authority in Sweden

-v-

Julian Paul Assange


http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/media/judgments/2011/jud-authority-sweden-v-assange

Still waiting to hear if bail is revoked.

#Assange bailed until 2pm while issues around sureties are sorted out.
Twitter - 22
22 seconds ago

[cal04]

1. Julian Assange to be extradited to Sweden (link)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/feb/24/julian-assange-extradition-sweden-verdict

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is to be extradited to Sweden to face allegations of rape and sexual assault.

Assange has been fighting extradition since he was arrested and bailed in December. He has consistently denied the allegations, made by two women in August last year.

Howard Riddle, the chief magistrate, delivered his ruling at a hearing at Belmarsh magistrates court in London. It is unlikely to be the end of the matter, however, because an appeal is expected, which would delay the final decision until the summer at the latest.



U.K. judge: Assange to be extradited to Sweden
Swedish prosecutors want to question WikiLeaks founder about sexual misconduct allegations
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41752636/ns/us_news-wikileaks_in_security/

[midnight]

60. Thanks for link....

[maddezmom]

2. Julian Assange to learn extradition decision

Source: The Guardian

The WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is set to learn whether Sweden has been successful in its attempt to extradite him in relation to allegations of rape and sexual assault.

Assange has consistently denied the accusations, made by two women in August last year, and has been fighting extradition since he was arrested and bailed in December.

At a two-day hearing earlier this month, his legal team argued that the European arrest warrant (EAW) issued by Sweden was invalid since the Australian has not been charged with any offence, that the alleged assaults would not be legitimate extraditable offences, and that he would not receive a fair trial in Sweden.

Howard Riddle, the chief magistrate, will deliver his ruling on those arguments. The Swedish prosecutor, represented in court by the British Crown Prosecution Service, has maintained throughout that despite the lack of charge, Assange is being sought for prosecution rather than merely for questioning, which it argues means the warrant is valid.



Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/feb/24/julian-assange-extradition-ruling

[xchrom]

3. recommend

[maddezmom]

4. Assange Ruling Won’t End U.K. Extradition Fight, Lawyers Say

Assange Ruling Won’t End U.K. Extradition Fight, Lawyers Say
February 24, 2011, 4:33 AM EST

Feb. 24 (Bloomberg) -- WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s extradition battle with Sweden is unlikely to end for months, regardless of what a London judge rules at a hearing today.

A series of appeals of District Judge Howard Riddle’s decision, scheduled for today, on Sweden’s request to extradite the 39-year-old Australian to face sexual-misconduct allegations is almost inevitable, lawyers said.

“I don’t expect this will be the end of the story,” Michael Caplan, a lawyer at Kingsley Napley in London, said in a telephone interview. “Ultimately I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes all the way to the Supreme Court” of Britain.

¬snip¬

Assange’s defense lawyers Mark Stephens and Geoffrey Robertson have said the push to bring him to Sweden, where two women have accused him of rape and sexual molestation, may be politically motivated. U.S. agencies are investigating WikiLeaks’ posting of thousands of classified U.S. military and diplomatic documents on the Internet.

more: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-02-24/assange-ruling-won-t-end-u-k-extradition-fight-lawyers-say.html

[maddezmom]

5. hearing has started. Live updates from The Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/blog/2011/feb/24/julian-assange-extradition-decision-live-updates

[cal04]

6. twitter from the hearing

http://twitter.com/#!/estheraddley

[maddezmom]

7. thanks for that...

:hi:

[cal04]

9. you're very welcome. Thank you maddezmom for the thread

:hi:

[cal04]

13. The judge says it is clear that Assange has not made himself available for interview

The judge says it is clear that Assange has not made himself available for interview in Sweden. He says it is not for him to decide whether he deliberately fled, just that he did not make himself available.

Defence witnesses' evidence 'fatally undermined' by an incorrect understanding of the facts. (Damning about #assange lawyer untruth in w ...

2 defence witnesses not experts on extradition, but their evidence based on 'facts that were wrongly stated'

[cal04]

14. 'Absolutely satisfied' that public comments from Swedish PM will not affect

'Absolutely satisfied' that public comments from Swedish PM will not affect any trial in swedish courts #assange

Judge has dismissed all defence arguments so far

In this country that would amount to rape' #assange

Offence four, allegation of rape, wd normally be automatic extradition offence, #assange team argued it wouldn't amount to rape

First three alleged offences against Miss A (sex assault and molestation) meet criteria for extradition offences #assange

Re: extradition offences, #assange team argued allegations weren't valid for extradition as wdnt be illegal in uk

[maddezmom]

8. 10:45 Assange's Swedish lawyer, Björn Hurtig, made a deliberate attempt to mislead this court, the j

10.45am: The judge's summary is onto attempts by the Swedish prosecutor to contact Assange before he left the country.

• Assange's Swedish lawyer, Björn Hurtig, made a deliberate attempt to mislead this court, the judge says. He terms him an unreliable witness on attempts by the Swedish prosecutor to contact his client.

• Of Assange, he says: "It would be a reasonable assumption from the facts that Mr Assange was deliberately avoiding interrogation before he left Sweden."

[maddezmom]

10. 10:50 The summary now addresses claims from the defence that Assange would face a negative climate i

The summary now addresses claims from the defence that Assange would face a negative climate in Sweden. He says there has been "considerable adverse publicity against Mr Assange in Sweden" including from the prime minister.

[maddezmom]

11. twitter: Judge has dismissed all defence arguments so far #assange

Judge has dismissed all defence arguments so far #assange
3 minutes ago via txt

[maddezmom]

12. 10:53 The judge says the Swedish prosecutor, Marianne Ny, does have the authority to issue a Europea

The judge says the Swedish prosecutor, Marianne Ny, does have the authority to issue a European arrest warrant and that the warrant is valid.

[cal04]

15. #assange extradited , we can be sure he will appeal, 7 days to launch appeal

We can be confident he will appeal #assange

#assange extradited


7 days to launch appeal, otherwise extradition wd nortmally take 10 days

If assange extradited and US asks for onward extradition, wd require agreement of Swe courts and uk home sec

[maddezmom]

16. no onto bail : Awaiting confirmation from a couple of suretors, so seems likely bail will be granted

[maddezmom]

17. Judge rises for 5 mins to allow defence to try to tie up two suretors whose documentation haven't be

Judge rises for 5 mins to allow defence to try to tie up two suretors whose documentation haven't been received #assange

[maddezmom]

21. #Assange bailed until 2pm while issues around sureties are sorted out.

[cal04]

19. judgement posted, twitter-most damning comment about lawyer error

http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/media/judgments/2011/jud-authority-sweden-v-assange


Judge back to rule on bail, costs #assange

Most damning comment about #assange lawyer error: 'I do not accept that this was a genuine mistake. It cannot hv slipped his mind'

http://twitter.com/#!/estheraddley

[Robb]

28. "There was at one stage a suggestion that Mr Assange could be extradited to the USA...."

".... possibly to Guantanamo Bay or to execution as a traitor. The only live evidence on the point came from the defence witness Mr Alhem who said it couldn’t happen. In the absence of any evidence that Mr Assange risks torture or execution Mr Robertson was right not to pursue this point in closing."

Oh, snap. :D

[Heywood J]

18. So he can be extradited to face the Swedish legal system on a crime for which he has not

been charged? That's one hell of a poorly-written treaty.

[EFerrari]

22. There is an appeals process.

I don't understand this verdict as there was a question about the legality of the warrant because of the lack of charges.

[social_critic]

24. Assange may end up like Mandela

Maybe they'll keep rigging charges and Assange will end up like Mandela. It'll be one heck of a stain on Obama's record.

[leftynyc]

27. Obama's record?

What on earth are you talking about?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

29. The assumption being that our intel services are behind the "trumped up" charges?

:shrug:

[EFerrari]

30. Wikileaks itself has shown us how our government interferes with

the judicial process of other nations. And having the government stalk Wikileaks and Assange all over the net and Europe is going to be a stain on this DoJ, which is at this moment more or less illegally looking for something to charge Assange with.


/oops

[avaistheone1]

34. Yes.

And this is happening on whose watch?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

35. Hillary's?

:shrug:



/HB

[EFerrari]

38. It's hard to imagine anyone in our government

doing different. And that's a shame. :(

[avaistheone1]

56. And she works for who?

[social_critic]

54. Either the CIA or US neocons are behind it.

The charges do look pretty trumped up. The timing is highly suspect as well. I have a tendency to believe this is all US inspired.

[MilesColtrane]

33. Obama tore Julian's condom.

I just know he did!

[provis99]

46. extradition to Sweden is obviously only a middle point.

The ultimate goal is extradition from Sweden to the US, and Eric Holder is already trying to drum up some kangaroo court charges to use on Assange.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/assange-lawyers-prepare-us-espionage-indictment/story?id=12362315

All Eric Holder does is what Obama wants.

[TorchTheWitch]

49. not even the defense believes that

They didn't bring it up in court and the only one of their witnesses to bring is up was the one that declared it wouldn't happen.

READ the judge's decision.

[social_critic]

53. I think the charges in Sweden were triggered by the US government

I've seen the case against Assange, and it seems to be trumped up - which tells me it's a US government financed job. It could be CIA, or it could be something done by the neocon mafia with their own resources. Obama is in charge, if he's letting the US system, or Americans, do this to Assange, it does ruin his reputation. Same way his reputation is ruined by Guantanamo, the use of killer robots by US forces against Pakistanis, and so on.

[girl gone mad]

55. The record of pursuing a show/circus trial of Assange..

while ignoring rampant fraud on Wall Street and serious crimes in the Pentagon?

:shrug:

[TorchTheWitch]

48. read the judge's decision

Pretty much everything is spelled out in depth in there. The link is right in the OP, but here it is again...

http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/Resources/JCO/Documents/Judgments/jud-aut-sweden-v-assange-judgment.pdf

[EFerrari]

59. I have read it. n/t

[xchrom]

20. recommend

[Robb]

23. I understand the appeal process could drag out years.

Both sides said this week they would appeal, regardless of the decision, so that's not unexpected.

Julian Knowles got a lot of ink over the week as well, predicting just this. :shrug:

[siligut]

25. He is only the face of Wikileaks

Wikileaks goes on without him. However, this is an injustice and it cannot be ignored.

[CJvR]

26. As expected.

The only real chance for extradition to be denied would have been if the judge had swallowed the defence conspiracy theories.

[maddezmom]

31. 2.20pm: Assange - on bail again - has just made the following statement outside Belmarsh.

2.20pm: Assange - on bail again - has just made the following statement outside Belmarsh.

Belmarsh was a rubber stamping process. It comes as no surprise but is nevertheless wrong. It comes as the result of a European arrest warrant system amok.

There was no consideration of the allegations made against me. No consideration of the complaints against me in Sweden.

We have always known we would appeal. We have always known in all likelihood we would have to appeal. Ninety five percent of all European arrest warrants are successful <...>

<...> What does the United States have to do with a Swedish Extradition process?

It has been falsely stated that I said the CIA or Pentagon was involved in the initial allegation. I have never said that. I have never said who was behind those allegations, simply that they were untrue.

Why is it that I am subject - a non-profit free speech activist - that I am subject to a $300,000 bail, that I am subject to house arrest when I have never been charged in any country.

The scrutiny of the European arrest warrant system needs to begin now, it cannot be the case that filling two pages with someone's name and a suspicion - not a charge - can lead to their extradition to one of 26 European nations.

Three people a day are being extradited from the UK under a rubber stamp process.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/blog/2011/feb/24/julian-assange-extradition-decision-live-updates

[fittosurvive]

32. This was predictable. The seriousness of the allegations outweigh all other concerns

in this type of case.

[lovuian]

36. this only digs another hole for those oppressing the

people of the world

britain is in shock over Ghadaffi

and is starting to realize the ramifications of the tsunamis

Assange got more than he ever dreamed of

let them make him a martyr then

the joke is
it won't stop the flood of info

basically they are screwed

If you think Cheney and Bush have torture on their plate
then Obama will have Assange

[midnight]

37. This is horrific.... I hope Sweeden has their own outcry over this.

I hope they don't hand him over to U.S. He is not guilty of any crime to our country...

[2banon]

39. Court agrees to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julain Assange to Sweden over sex allegations

Source: Raw Story

Court agrees to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julain Assange to Sweden over sex allegations



LONDON (Reuters) - A British court agreed on Thursday to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to Sweden where he is wanted for questioning over sex crimes, dismissing claims the move would breach his human rights.



Lawyers for Assange, who has angered the U.S. government by releasing thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables on his website, said they would appeal against the decision at London's High Court, putting the extradition on hold.

Mark Stephens, a lawyer for Assange, said the case showed that extraditions under the fast-track European arrest warrant were a form of "tick-box justice".







Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/02/24/court-agrees-to-extradite-wikileaks-founder-julain-assange-to-sweden-over-sex-allegations/

---

And the struggle for justice in face of the Ruling Elite continues..


edited redundant source info

[DRex]

40. Welcome to DU!

Have a candy heart, and thanks for the post.

[2banon]

43. You're welcome and thank you...n/t

:hi:

[glinda]

41. Support for Julian. I just bought two t-shirts.

http://wikileaks.spreadshirt.com/

[2banon]

44. thanks for the link for supporting WL.....n/t

:toast:

[Demeter]

42. Good Sock Puppet, England! Have a Doggy Treat

What a travesty of justice: US style.

[2banon]

45. this was predictable...

but here's hoping the rest of this saga defies the expected outcome..

[Matilda]

47. There is growing disquiet in the UK about European Arrest Warrants.

It seems that warrants are being issued all too frequently on flimsy grounds, or for "crimes" that would not be recognised as such in the UK. These crimes include such things as racism, xenophobia, and holocaust denial. While these traits might be unpleasant, they're not the sort of thing that people in Britain would normally be jailed for.

"Last year Britain received more than 4,000 extradition requests from other EU states.

More than half were from Poland, which has been accused of bombarding countries with expensive extradition demands over minor matters such as the theft of a pig, stealing chocolate bars and exceeding a bank overdraft limit.

British citizens who have fallen foul of the system include a businessman who spent four months in a Hungarian prison but has never been charged with an offence, and a grandmother who endured repeated arrests before her extradition case was eventually thrown out."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/8211382/British-courts-flooded-with-trivial-extraditions-report-finds.html#

A charitable group called Fair Trials International has been set up, dedicated to bringing attention to some of the more outrageous cases, such as this one involving a Briton, Andrew Symeou:

"Andrew’s extradition was sought by the Greek authorities in connection with the tragic death of another young British man at a nightclub in Zante, Greece.

Fair Trials International has grave concerns over the conduct of the police investigation, which was built on mistaken identity, conflicting evidence, and the violent intimidation of witnesses.

Despite strong evidence of police misconduct, in May 2009 the British High Court ordered Andrew’s extradition to Greece under a European Arrest Warrant."

http://www.fairtrials.net/cases/spotlight/andrew_symeou/


These cases bear a similarity to that of Julian Assange in that they appear to be prosecuted on very flimsy evidence, or are for what, to us, would be no more than a misdemeanour. It may be that there is a darker undertone to the Assange case, but it may also be that he is another victim of what is, to many, an outrageous agreement between governments that is open to almost unlimited abuse.

Edited for clarity

[TorchTheWitch]

50. I see nobody has actually read the decision

Figures. Wouldn't want to clutter the mind with any facts and stuff.

[Hissyspit]

51. You've gotten facts "and stuff" wrong.

[TorchTheWitch]

52. yeah, the judge's very detailed decision on facts and stuff

is just all wrong.

Jeez.

[Hissyspit]

57. Have no problem with telling people to click the link and read the decision.

Just thought I'd give a reminder that a high horse can be a place from which one can easily fall.

[melm00se]

58. interesting read the judge's decision

amazingly it is in plain english.

his analysis of the evidence presented is thorough and precise.

His decision, based upon the evidence presented, appears to be sound/