Julian Assange granted asylum by Ecuador

[Distind]

Aren't the UK still refusing to give him safe passage out of the country though?

So he's stuck in the embassy, until someone storms it and drags him out. Or he dies of old age.

Seriously folks, don't engage in espionage or the facilitation of it, it really pisses nations off. You could leak the number of toilet brushes purchased in the last 30 days, they'll still beat your ass for it when they catch you. If Assange didn't realize this ahead of time, he's an idiot.

[m52nickerson]

...and at the end of the day Great Britain is not going to be intimidated by Ecuador.

[IanC]

Noone cares that he is wanted in Sweden on rape/sexual assault allegations?

Really?

Urm, hello?

Also Ecudar aren't exactly known for freedom of speech, which makes this whole thing by Julian hypocritical in the extreme.

[ironbite]

You're really going to take the side of national governments who want this guy dead because he happened to release the dirt he had on them out into the world?  Really?  You're focusing on the surprise sex thing in Sweden?  Really?

Ironbite-might wanna take a look at your priorities.

[kefkaownsall]

also relevant surprise sex is not a huge deal in Sweden (200 dollar fine)

[SimSim]

Pfft, things like totally shouldn't be taken in to consideration when you like what he did politically. Even more so when there are vague, bordering on conspiracy theory ideas about the woman he allegedly raped having ties to the CIA.

[SCarpelan]

Noone cares that he is wanted in Sweden on rape/sexual assault allegations?

Really?

Urm, hello?

Also Ecudar aren't exactly known for freedom of speech, which makes this whole thing by Julian hypocritical in the extreme.

Assange was willing to be questioned in the UK but the Swedish prosecutor refused to do so and even lied that the Swedish law doesn't allow it. He was also willing to return to Sweden to be questioned there if he was given a guarantee that he wouldn't be extradited to the US. Since neither offer was accepted it's understandable that he is suspicious of the motives behind the accusations.

Yeah, Ecuador isn't a model country when it comes to the freedom of speech. I disagree that it's hypocritical for Assange to accept help from them, though, the hypocrites in this case are the Ecuadorian officials. Assange is just looking for help from people who are willing to stand up to the US and its allies.

[m52nickerson]

Noone cares that he is wanted in Sweden on rape/sexual assault allegations?

Really?

Urm, hello?

It because some on this board like him.  They think he is some champion of transparency.  So for him it's just surprise sex.  The best part will come the next time we have a thread about rape and some of the same people will make the argument that a man pressuring a women to have sex is the same as rape.

[SCarpelan]

Noone cares that he is wanted in Sweden on rape/sexual assault allegations?

Really?

Urm, hello?

It because some on this board like him.  They think he is some champion of transparency.  So for him it's just surprise sex.  The best part will come the next time we have a thread about rape and some of the same people will make the argument that a man pressuring a women to have sex is the same as rape.

If Assange is guilty of rape he is a scumbag who deserves to be sentenced and sent to jail in Sweden. What he doesn't deserve is to be sent to a country with a recent record of human rights violations and a reason to be pissed off at him. If the Swedish officials were only interested in investigating the rape accusations and not sending him to the US they could have questioned him in the UK.

[Smurfette Principle]

Can I just say that I'm really pissed off that people are calling this "surprise sex"? Uh, no. "Surprise sex" is rape. Call it rape. And nickerson, pressuring someone into sex is also rape.

I like Wikileaks. I like Assange's work. I don't think he or anyone else should go to jail for exposing government shit. I think he should go to jail for what he actually did, which is rape. It is, in fact, possible to support him as an agent of transparency while also calling him out for being a rapist and an asshole.

[kefkaownsall]

sorry smurfette just going by the legal term.  I agree what he did was scummy just saying that the actual crime he could be charged with isn't rape. 

[ironbite]

Noone cares that he is wanted in Sweden on rape/sexual assault allegations?

Really?

Urm, hello?

It because some on this board like him.  They think he is some champion of transparency.  So for him it's just surprise sex.  The best part will come the next time we have a thread about rape and some of the same people will make the argument that a man pressuring a women to have sex is the same as rape.

Wow...just wow.

Ironbite-that's just....wow.

[m52nickerson]

If Assange is guilty of rape he is a scumbag who deserves to be sentenced and sent to jail in Sweden. What he doesn't deserve is to be sent to a country with a recent record of human rights violations and a reason to be pissed off at him. If the Swedish officials were only interested in investigating the rape accusations and not sending him to the US they could have questioned him in the UK.

They could have questioned him in the UK, but they wanted him on Swedish soil.  That is there prerogative and they went through the proper channels to do so.  Also the US has every right to prosecute him with any crimes he may have committed again the US government.

Can I just say that I'm really pissed off that people are calling this "surprise sex"? Uh, no. "Surprise sex" is rape. Call it rape. And nickerson, pressuring someone into sex is also rape.

I like Wikileaks. I like Assange's work. I don't think he or anyone else should go to jail for exposing government shit. I think he should go to jail for what he actually did, which is rape. It is, in fact, possible to support him as an agent of transparency while also calling him out for being a rapist and an asshole.

One, pressuring a women to have sex with you is not rape.  Second, you you can support him for his work with wikileaks and call him a rapist.  What you can't do is say he should not answer for those rape charges just because him might also faces charges you don't like. 

[Smurfette Principle]

sorry smurfette just going by the legal term.  I agree what he did was scummy just saying that the actual crime he could be charged with isn't rape. 

It smacks uncomfortably of the whole "rape isn't rape, it's just surprise sex you didn't know you wanted" thing, which is bad for a lot of reasons. I didn't know it was a legal term. That's really odd.

One, pressuring a women to have sex with you is not rape.

Do we really want to have this conversation? Because I'm fairly sure that it is going to dissolve into a lot of swearing on my end and a lot of douchefuckery on yours.

Second, you you can support him for his work with wikileaks and call him a rapist.  What you can't do is say he should not answer for those rape charges just because him might also faces charges you don't like. 

Which I did not say. At all. Have I said anything at all to that effect? Please, quote me saying that he shouldn't face rape charges. I fucking dare you.

[Eldalar]

Since the talk has turned to the actual circumstances of the case, anyone around who actually knows the whole story? Tried to find it out, but finding 2-3 versions floating around, mostly relating to the crime he is charged with.
All of them seem to agree that he had sex with two women who were friends, who both didn't know that the other was sleeping with him. He slept with one of them in the evening and another time the next morning. The second time is where it gets fuzzy, one story said he didn't ask for her consent and just assumed consent because of the former night, therefore surprise sex in legal terms, another one said, that his condom broke(and he didn't pull out) or he didn't use one from the start and it isn't about sex in general but about unprotected sex without explicit consent.
After that most seem to agree that the two of them spent the morning eating together before she left. A few days later she went to the police.
Anyone who is a bit more patient/knowledgeable in swedish law can explain exactly what the charges are and the exact circumstances?

Either case if the thing about them having breakfast together is true the whole deal looks more like abusing the law in order to take revenge on someone for being an a-hole, then a woman being raped.
And from the position of the law, is it normal to search people who are wanted for questioning in minor delicts with a red notice? Don't think so myself, but not sure, might be standard procedure.