Julian Assange was so close to being released yesterday. So close, that he was virtually prepared to walk out the door when his supporters learned, to their horror, that the 240,000 pounds in bail would have to be paid entirely in cash. No Visa or MasterCard accepted.
The delay gave the Swedish government plenty of time to appeal Assange’s release, and even though they didn’t produce any new evidence, which is to say any evidence at all, Assange remains in a British prison today, with a hearing scheduled for tomorrow.
And so Assange remains im Wandsworth Prison, the prison which for years held Britain’s national stock of cats o’ nine tails. The floggings are over, but the conditions remain questionable at best, and concern for Assange is doubly so as lawyer Mark Stephens reports prison officials are denying him access to his client pending the appeal.
The appeal against Assange’s release will be held before a different judge, according to court officials, which may well play in the Swedish government’s favor after Judge Riddle started expressing annoyance at their suggestion that evidence was “irrelevant” to the case.
For Assange this isn’t about being extradited to Sweden to face questioning over dubious sexual molestation charges, but potentially about his very life. The Swedish government’s interest in acquiring Assange seems almost exclusively to center around giving him to the United States, where though he isn’t actually charged with anything he is likely to face execution.
Indeed, it seems in most cases the British courts wouldn’t have made such a fuss about the prospective extradition to a nation like Sweden. It is rather the fear that Assange will be “disappeared” by the US government as part of the extradition which is giving many pause, as it would be no small embarrassment for Britain to turn over a citizen of a Commonwealth nation to such a fate.
On the contrary to many news papers and news agencies whom are totally or partial dependent on what government will tell them to publish.., Mr. Assange is a hero in that regard so is the fact with the people of independent nature whom demanding for democracy to work and function, its transparency and honesty of a government to be for the people and not for bunch of corporate or other government or personal agendas.., their economic and war attitude which has been a core in their success for years and its need to be stooped.
It is a unfortunate event or perhaps the nature and political or social motives – agendas of those women and the stupidity of the present Swedish government to bring about the accusation upon this man.., it simply shows and have shown how malicious yet funny the Swedish government and its justice system can be.
I guess getting bailed out doesn't mean the same in Britain. Or maybe it doesn't mean the same when the US government wants someone to not be bailed out.
Julian Assange is the man of the year. No contest. He has really set the cat amongst the pigeons and given the establishment a shove like it hasn't had in a long time. There is no way he should be extradited to Sweden to be turned over to the Americans. He should be released immediately. Go Wikileaks. Power to the people.
latest: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/15/julia…