https://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/07/21-3 The Rights Groups that Lost the Plot on Ecuador and Julian Assange Free speech advocates should defend WikiLeaks' founder from US spying charges, not invent a media crackdown in Ecuador For these reasons and many more, it is quite likely that the government of Ecuador will decide that Assange has a well-founded fear of political persecution, and grant him political asylum. Yet, surprisingly and shamefully, organizations whose profession it is to defend human rights and press freedoms have not only remained silent on the question of Assange's right to asylum, or Sweden's political persecution of a journalist, but have, instead, attacked Ecuador. For example, José Miguel Vivanco, director the Americas Watch division of Human Rights Watch (HRW), has stated: "I think this is ironic that you have a journalist, or an activist, seeking political asylum from a government that has – after Cuba – the poorest record of free speech in the region, and the practice of persecuting local journalists when the government is upset by their opinions or their research."Much of the media ran with this, perhaps not knowing a great deal about the media in Ecuador, and not realizing that any of the other independent democracies in South America would also grant asylum to Assange.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...yle-probe/story-e6frg6n6-1226431667521Lawyers for Julian Assange warn of Bradley Manning-style probe The US is not going to extradite The US is not going to assassinate The US is not twisting Manning to incarcerate Assange sure
http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-...-night-visit-helped-spark-assange-asylum-bid/ Speaking from the embassy by phone, Mr Assange said he became suspicious when the Swedish government publicly announced it would detain him "without charge in prison under severe conditions". What happened next made him believe he may soon be taken into custody. "On the same evening, the UK government security contractors that maintained the electronic manacle around my leg turned up unannounced at 10.30pm and insisted on fitting another manacle to my leg, saying that this was part of routine maintenance, which did not sound to be credible," he said. Mr Assange said the following day the security contractor "filed a section nine bail breach against me" in that "my bail would be revoked and they did so under the basis that we refused to let them in at 10.30pm unannounced". Later that day Mr Assange said he feared his last avenue of appeal was about to be terminated by the British crown prosecution service. "Acting, we believe, on behalf of the Swedish government, (they) requested that the 14 days that I had to apply to the European court of human rights be reduced to zero."
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v34/n14/jeremy-harding/i-couldve-sold-to-russia-or-china i could’ve sold to russia or china Jeremy Harding The Passion of Bradley Manning: The Story of the Suspect Behind the Largest Security Breach in US History by Chase Madar OR, 167 pp, £10.00, April, ISBN 978 0 19 359285 8
Dianne Feinstein is an idiot. She knows damn well there is no legal basis for charging Assange with anything because he's not a U.S. citizen. Feinstein is not the Justice Department of the U.S. She's the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee- and that only because the Democrats control the Senate.
I'm to the left of Feinstein, vote Democrat when there's no one to the left of that. While I disagree with her, she's being politically smart. This way, the Teatards can't flank her on the right. Of course, that brings to question "why the fuck is she a Democrat anyway," but it could be a case of picking her battles.
As I mentioned in another threads, there are Australian cables obtained by FOI saying that diplomatic circles there are convinced that the US have been preparing a secret indictment for more than one year. If you were in Assange's position, would you take the chance ? I would not.
The point I was making was that Assange has committed no crime under any US law I'm aware of, although I'm not a legalfag. That said, when has that stopped the US? I was pointing to the weakness of the US case, not Assange's understandable paranoia. Hell, he, being the figurehead for WikiLeaks, has pissed off enough people I wouldn't be surprised if he had a price on his head. What we've seen from WikiLeaks is no different from the Pentagon Papers a generation ago. It stuns me how fundamentally different the reactions of various nations have been. When the information was leaked on Iceland's banks, the people said, "This is fucked up! Let's fix this," and they went on to do just that, even electing one of Assange's former colleagues. Much of the rest of the world has gone with a "shoot the messenger" approach. Because of their reaction, Iceland is in a much stronger position than they were before, and the rest of the world sucks.
Exactly. If the US are willing to defy international law to go to war, assassinate dictators & a myriad of other things, they certainly won't think twice about getting Assange over.
well it is ironic that anyone claiming asylum would need to also ironic that these days the USA now comes under the heading of one of the countries that shouldn't be extradited to under The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (United Nations Convention against Torture) The Convention requires states to take effective measures to prevent torture within their borders, and forbids states to transport people to any country where there is reason to believe they will be tortured. and that THEIR OWN CITIZENS are having to apply to the courts under it that these use of torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment are now enshrined in their laws About time some of these professional commentators learnt to update their records
You do realise that it is true that most independent ''democraties'' (yes in quotes'') in south america also have big free speech issues though? Have you even done your homework? My main problem with this is that Assange is willingly becoming a propaganda tool for these states. Now, can you tell me how avoiding rape charges after being granted the right to appeal 3 times and appeals being dismissed by 3 different judges is a human right?
Archer, you have problems with Assange obsession. Let me help YOU and tell me what do you want to see Assange? In prison? Hanged? Everybody is entitled to save his own ass. You want to convince the whole world that he is not at risk of extradicted to the US. And then the world will pressure him to go to Sweden to help with the investigation. This won't happen. You need help.
Archer, you are wasting your time with these people. I pointed out on another thread that if the working hypothesis is that the U.S. is a bunch of evil bastards with no respect for the law, there is no basis for rational discussion. And, if you don't agree with them, something is wrong with you. I, too, would like to see Assange go to Sweden and answer the allegations against him.
Funny, I don't feel like I'm the one posting anon comments bashing on my character out of buttfuriousness here.
Kind of ironic that the Assange supporters always fall back on "LOL BUTTHURT IDIOT' when their theories and opinions are challenged. If all of a sudden people think a guy like Assange is beyond any criticism because of becoming something of a cult icon, then their moral compass needs some adjustments.
Okay. With that in mind, HOC, you suck. Ass-flange has a legitimate fear he would be extradited to the United States, where he has been accused of no crime, but where an accusation of a crime has not stopped the government in recent years. Nor has respect for human rights and preventing torture prevented the US government from violating both. If Calendar Ass-flange wants to go to Ecuador, and Ecuador will let him, I'm in favor of it.
I support Assange, and he has some legitimate concerns. I also think he's an asshole. I don't think he's beyond criticism. If that's what you've read, then learn how to read.
I should learn to read because some people flatout refuse to say Assange has never done anything immoral in his wikileaks campaign? Seem legit.
No, you need to learn how to read because no one in this thread has said anything even remotely like that in this thread, and you're arguing against a straw man instead of the actual arguments. You are a complete and utter failure as a person.
