Judge Orders Assange Extradited; 'Democracies Ought to be Scared'

[Better Believe It]

Assange Extradited; 'Democracies Ought to be Scared'
by Agence France-Presse
February 24, 2011

SYDNEY, Australia - The mother of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange condemned Thursday a court order for his extradition to Sweden as "political and legal gang rape", the Australian Associated Press reported.

A British judge ruled Thursday that the 39-year-old Australian can be extradited to face rape and sexual assault claims, dismissing arguments that he would face an unfair trial.

"I would say that what we're looking at here is political and legal gang rape of my son," AAP quoted Christine Assange as saying. "You've got misuse of the European arrest warrant, first time ever that it's been used this way."

"The greatest fear I have is that the Western world in its effort to shut up someone who's telling the truth to the people of their countries will breach every piece of legislation in order to get him and will co-operate across borders to do so."

Read the full article at:

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/02/24

Julain Assange's lawyers are appealing the decision to a higher court. BBI

[ananda]

1. It's called kangaroo court justice.

Some country .. say Australia .. should offer Assange safe harbor.

[SpiralHawk]

2. Gang rape of the truth

We're gonna need some kind of mass Planetary Protest to get justice & truth out of this...

Planet Earth Goes Egyptian...

[gateley]

3. K&R -- I feel like there's a bowling ball in my stomach. This really concerns me. nt

[Ezlivin]

4. Kill all whistleblowers and those who would alert us

People will ask, "If Event X was aided by insiders, why hasn't anyone come forward?"

If someone wanted to "squeal" about JFK, RFK, MLK, Oklahoma City or 9/11 they know they would be dead or, at best, their reputation so sullied that they became "dead" to the world. Hell, both military and airline pilots know better than to acknowledge an unidentified flying object. I've spoken with pilots who confided that any such report would A) go nowhere, and, B) harm their career.

It amazes me that people think it's easy to upend a criminal conspiracy by "insiders coming forward."

Julian Assange is being made an example. It's a powerful message and will intimidate those who thought of coming forward on other issues.

[snot]

5. I shouldn't be, but I'm shocked.

The U.K. has refused extradition in other cases where the grounds appeared much more cogent.

And meanwhile, the U.S. is busy trying to pass a law to criminalize his publications ex post facto, because they know we don't have a case otherwise.

[GeorgeGist]

6. No matter what they do ...

Wikileaks will remain. Assange is smart; unlike his adversaries.


edit for ambiguity.

[Kurovski]

7. That's correct. it will not stop. (nt)

[TorchTheWitch]

8. What a pantload

Anyone actually read the judge's 28 page decision?

Extradition was always perfectly reasonable and perfectly expected.

[msanthrope]

9. I'm surprised she didn't call it a 'high-tech lynching.'

I read the decision. The judge was neither amused by nor impressed with the sideshow.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/interactive/2011/feb/24/julian-assange-extradition-judgment