Supreme court dismisses Assange appeal bid

[dipsydoodle]

Source: BBC News 14 June 2012 Last updated at 15:16

The Supreme Court has dismissed a bid by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to reopen his appeal against extradition to Sweden over alleged sex crimes.

Seven judges of Britain's top court unanimously dismissed the move by Mr Assange as being "without merit".

Two weeks ago the court rejected his argument that a European arrest warrant for extradition was invalid.

His lawyers had argued that the decision was based on a legal point that had not been argued in court.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-18446295

[maddezmom]

1. seemed like a longshot from the begining n/t

[Swagman]

2. yet they wouldn't extradite the murderous General Pinochet to Spain where he was wanted for murder

[Manifestor_of_Light]

3. No criminal charges filed on him in Sweden.

The Swedish prosecutors couldn't come up with enough evidence for rape, from his groupies.

If there are no charges why should he be extradited, unless it's to ultimately charge him in the U.S.?

[dotymed]

5. The criminal "charge" as I understand it

is "having unprotected sex." I had no idea that this is a crime anywhere, unless you have AIDS/HIV. Then, of course it is it is at least assault and possibly, attempted murder. Does Julian have AIDS/HIV or is having unprotected sex actually a crime in Sweden?

[dotymed]

4. It (sadly) really doesn't matter.

TPTB have decided to punish him severely for telling their secrets. There is absolutely no quarter given to any whistle-blower especially in this administration. All of our "sunshine" laws, our right to be informed citizens, these rights (yes they are rights), have been replaced by the governments desire for secrecy at any cost. The "secrets" that Julian Assange exposed only resulted in educating people about the abuses in our government and especially in our military. Cheney exposed an active CIA asset out of revenge and was exalted by the GOP.
Two sets of rules are obvious. Being a whistle-blower should be viewed as a patriotic and brave act. It should be rewarded not punished.
What Cheney did was not whistle-blowing, it was treason. There was no benefit in exposing Valarie as a CIA asset except to silence the truth and punish her husband for having the audacity to attempt to stop a war based on lies.
Face it, we have become a fucked up corptocracy.

[EFerrari]

6. I'm afraid this is our "special relationship" at work again.

Not only bad for Assange but also bad for British justice.

[tsuki]

7. I remember how hard the UK political establishment

fought extradition to Spain for Pinochet for being a rapist, murderer and torturer. I am beginning to believe Celente. The word is now spelled just-us.

[bvar22]

8. The 1% WILL be protected.

To them, the Truth Tellers are just another category of terrorists.

Our current administration is no different from the last in this respect.
If anything, they are even MORE aggressive in their War on Whistle Blowers.


You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their excuses.
[font size=5 color=green]Solidarity99![/font][font size=2 color=green]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/center]

[snot]

9. I've followed the sitch pretty closely:

Neither Assange nor Wikileaks has been charged with any violation of any law in any country on the planet, tho' not for lack of trying by the authorities. The women accusing him don't want him prosecuted; they only wanted him tested for STDs. He offered to be questioned while in Sweden before departing for the UK, and he's offered to be questioned while in the UK; that's not what the Swedes want. They want him in their custody, so he can be extradited to the US (apparently no UK or other law would require the UK to do that, but it's seen as likely if Assange is brought to Sweden).

Interesting to compare to the case of Gary McKinnon, also in the UK, who basically admits to biggest US military computer hack of all time and whom the US has been trying to get their hands on since 2002. McKinnon clearly DID break the law, yet he STILL hasn't been extradited.

Excellent succinct summary of common misconceptions about Assange's situation here: http://wlcentral.org/node/2554 .

[lsewpershad]

10. And america continues

to call the shots.

[Posteritatis]

11. Uh, the story isn't talking about SCOTUS. (nt)

[TheWraith]

12. Apparently no one realizes that OTHER COUNTRIES have courts too. nt