Extradition of Julian Assange undermines freedom of speech

[joluoto]

Assange is a joke, always was a joke. The Panama Papers are an example of a leak handled sufficiently, vetted by journalists from all over the world, and innocent persons removed from reports, and focus on the actual reveal (rich people hiding their taxes). Wiki Leaks just dumping documents is irresponsible and a danger to innocents. Also Wikileaks nowadays basically being in bed with the Russians is less than encouraging.

 

[Jean-s]

Other than all the operations of the Afghan government against the Taliban, which we continue to support; and intelligence support; and air strikes.....

Perhaps you should actually learn the facts instead of focusing on meaningless one liners.

Donald Trump and his hoodlum administration have surrendered to the Taliban. They are a treacherous bunch.

 

[Tigerace117]

Donald Trump and his hoodlum administration have surrendered to the Taliban. They are a treacherous bunch.

“Surrendering to the Taliban” would make your hero Assange ecstatic. Unfortunately for him, it hasn’t happened.

 

[Jean-s]

I think it is important for everyone, myself included, to accept legitimate criticism with grace. If you note, historically, we're in agreement on many subjects. That's why I find your bullheaded support of Assange so puzzling. He's NOT the principled hero you portray. Do you concede is self-aggrandizing? That his "disclosures" are one-sided (suspiciously non-critical of Russia or Putin)? Do you dispute his 2016 disclosures were coordinated with Russian intelligence? If you can't honestly assess those points, your assertions are not credible. It's not about your ego or mine, it's about reasonableness.

The Russians will continue to use what they can to embarrass the Americans from whatever source. This is not surprising. In the name of patriotism, American crimes have been routinely "classified" until the beans are spilled.

 

[Jean-s]

Here's an alternative theory, my friend. The Barr DoJ may want his extradition so that Trump can pardon him before leaving office.

That's a new one on me.

 

[Evilroddy]

Here's an alternative theory, my friend. The Barr DoJ may want his extradition so that Trump can pardon him before leaving office.

NWRatCon:

That still does not excuse the US Government and the British Judiciary conspiring to railroad the extradition trial. I have been following as best as I can, given the paucity of sources, what has been going on in the trial and from the reports which I have read about the court procedures and the judge's decisions, this in no way a fair trial. The banning of 20+ NGOs from receiving a video feed of the trial in order to assure a fair trial as watchdogs and the reduction of the public gallery to just five seats, when the public is allowed to view the trial is very suspicious. The inability of the defence to cross examine witnesses who are American public employees and the suppression of evidence for the defence is alarming too.

This is a show trial which seems to have a predetermined outcome. It is a mockery of justice and procedural law/protections for the accused.

Your Man in the Public Gallery: Assange Hearing Day 16 - Craig Murray

On Wednesday the trap sprang shut, as Judge Baraitser insisted the witnesses must finish next week, and that no time would be permitted for preparation of closing arguments, which must be heard the immediate following Monday. This brought the closest the defence have come to a protest, with the...

www.craigmurray.org.uk

Cheers and be well.
Evilroddy.

 

[Jean-s]

“Surrendering to the Taliban” would make your hero Assange ecstatic. Unfortunately for him, it hasn’t happened.

I am not entirely mystified at your refusal to accept the whole rotten secretive U.S. operations at home and abroad. The government is not always your friend remember.

 

[joluoto]

Wikileaks have leaked credit card information, medical data, names of rape victims, identities of lgtbq persons in Saudi Arabia (where it's punishable by death).
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy...lights-wikileaks-publication-of-private-info/

Honestly, f*ck Wikileaks and f*ck the rapist Assange.

 

[Jean-s]

NWRatCon:

That still does not excuse the US Government and the British Judiciary conspiring to railroad the extradition trial. I have been following as best as I can, given the paucity of sources, what has been going on in the trial and from the reports which I have read about the court procedures and the judge's decisions, this in no way a fair trial. The banning of 20+ NGOs from receiving a video feed of the trial in order to assure a fair trial as watchdogs and the reduction of the public gallery to just five seats, when the public is allowed to view the trial is very suspicious. The inability of the defence to cross examine witnesses who are American public employees and the suppression of evidence for the defence is alarming too.

This is a show trial which seems to have a predetermined outcome. It is a mockery of justice and procedural law/protections for the accused.

Your Man in the Public Gallery: Assange Hearing Day 16 - Craig Murray

On Wednesday the trap sprang shut, as Judge Baraitser insisted the witnesses must finish next week, and that no time would be permitted for preparation of closing arguments, which must be heard the immediate following Monday. This brought the closest the defence have come to a protest, with the...

www.craigmurray.org.uk

Cheers and be well.
Evilroddy.

Well put, Evilroddy. Your singular support of my topic is appreciated.

 

[Tigerace117]

I am not entirely mystified at your refusal to accept the whole rotten secretive U.S. operations at home and abroad. The government is not always your friend remember.

I am not at all mystified at your support for revealing the identities of Afghans working against the Taliban.

The simple fact of the matter is that there are numerous perfectly legitimate reasons why things are kept secret. You don’t have a right to know when it puts other people’s lives in danger. Deal with it.

 

[Jean-s]

Wikileaks have leaked credit card information, medical data, names of rape victims, identities of lgtbq persons in Saudi Arabia (where it's punishable by death).
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy...lights-wikileaks-publication-of-private-info/

Honestly, f*ck Wikileaks and f*ck the rapist Assange.

The bogus Swedish sexual allegation was a set-up from the beginning in order to get Assange to Sweden as a stop-over to Washington. The defamation charge was dropped by the Swedes but that hasn't stopped you repeating it. Curse on the Scandinavians who were once a paragon of human rights.

 

[Jean-s]

I am not at all mystified at your support for revealing the identities of Afghans working against the Taliban.

The simple fact of the matter is that there are numerous perfectly legitimate reasons why things are kept secret. You don’t have a right to know when it puts other people’s lives in danger. Deal with it.

Keep believing that and sleep well tonight. You are a good chap.

 

[NWRatCon]

NWRatCon:

That still does not excuse the US Government and the British Judiciary conspiring to railroad the extradition trial. I have been following as best as I can, given the paucity of sources, what has been going on in the trial and from the reports which I have read about the court procedures and the judge's decisions, this in no way a fair trial. The banning of 20+ NGOs from receiving a video feed of the trial in order to assure a fair trial as watchdogs and the reduction of the public gallery to just five seats, when the public is allowed to view the trial is very suspicious. The inability of the defence to cross examine witnesses who are American public employees and the suppression of evidence for the defence is alarming too.

This is a show trial which seems to have a predetermined outcome. It is a mockery of justice and procedural law/protections for the accused.

Your Man in the Public Gallery: Assange Hearing Day 16 - Craig Murray

On Wednesday the trap sprang shut, as Judge Baraitser insisted the witnesses must finish next week, and that no time would be permitted for preparation of closing arguments, which must be heard the immediate following Monday. This brought the closest the defence have come to a protest, with the...

www.craigmurray.org.uk

Cheers and be well.
Evilroddy.

Let me offer, again, an alternative explanation. Assange has had no compunction in revealing legitimately dangerous information to the public, and would use any publicly broadcast proceeding to do so, as a way of intimidating the government from going forward with a proceeding.

 

[joluoto]

The bogus Swedish sexual allegation was a set-up from the beginning in order to get Assange to Sweden as a stop-over to Washington. The defamation charge was dropped by the Swedes but that hasn't stopped you repeating it. Curse on the Scandinavians who were once a paragon of human rights.

You do realize that if he was extradicted to Sweden there would have been less risk of him being extradicted to the US, due to a) the rape charges were not bogus at all (they were dropped due to statues of limitation) , and b) Sweden don't extradict people who might risk death penalty.

 

[iguanaman]

Julian Assange happily put informants within the rants of the Taliban at risk and screamed that his “rights were being violated” when the Ecuadorians asked him to clean up after his cat.

He’s a scumbag, pure and simple.

Not to mention that he is also a stooge for Putin. Not one wikileaks release concerned Russia corruption either.

 

[Jean-s]

Let me offer, again, an alternative explanation. Assange has had no compunction in revealing legitimately dangerous information to the public, and would use any publicly broadcast proceeding to do so, as a way of intimidating the government from going forward with a proceeding.

You are clearly unaware of the grip the U.S. government has on the judiciary in matters of so-called classified information, on what defense can be offered in American courts and what may not be discussed and offered in evidence. It is like a kangaroo court when prosecuted by the government. For this reason, Edward Snowden languishes in Russia. Assange was railroaded.

 

[Tigerace117]

Keep believing that and sleep well tonight. You are a good chap.

And we are back to the empty talking points.

Again.....the simple fact of the matter is that there are numerous perfectly legitimate reasons why things are kept secret. You don’t have a right to know when it puts other people’s lives in danger. Deal with it.

 

[Tigerace117]

Not to mention that he is also a stooge for Putin. Not one wikileaks release concerned Russia corruption either.

Funny how that works......very funny indeed.

And awfully convenient for Moscow.

 

[Jean-s]

You do realize that if he was extradicted to Sweden there would have been less risk of him being extradicted to the US, due to a) the rape charges were not bogus at all (they were dropped due to statues of limitation) , and b) Sweden don't extradict people who might risk death penalty.

The Swedes claimed Assange was not under charge and all they wanted to do was question him. Assange agreed to all their questions and offered to meet them in London but they refused. The Americans would have been happy to let the Swedes have a guarantee of no death penalty. They would have been glad to see Assange be locked up in an American prison for the rest of his natural life without possibility of parole. The Swedes stink.

 

[Jean-s]

And we are back to the empty talking points.

Again.....the simple fact of the matter is that there are numerous perfectly legitimate reasons why things are kept secret. You don’t have a right to know when it puts other people’s lives in danger. Deal with it.

You are far too credulous of U.S. government propaganda in the name of national security. Bear in mind, a democracy is only as sick as its secrets. Let the light of day in. That is the function of the fourth estate so that the citizenry will be informed.

 

[Tigerace117]

You are far too credulous of U.S. government propaganda in the name of national security. Bear in mind, a democracy is only as sick as its secrets. Let the light of day in. That is the function of the fourth estate so that the citizenry will be informed.

Are you denying that revealing the names of people working against the Taliban places their lives in danger?

You can squawk about “propaganda” all you want; it doesn’t change the fact that Wikileaks deliberately risked the lives of Afghans opposing the Taliban.

There is no right to put other people’s lives in danger.

 

[Jean-s]

Funny how that works......very funny indeed.

And awfully convenient for Moscow.

There are enough Russian people to worry about Putin. You would do well to care what your government does in your name.

 

[joluoto]

You are far too credulous of U.S. government propaganda in the name of national security. Bear in mind, a democracy is only as sick as its secrets. Let the light of day in. That is the function of the fourth estate so that the citizenry will be informed.

Journalism also has to be ethical. Wikileaks is completely without ethics. It publishes everything (except if it might hurt Russia). Medical records, credit card details, rape victims, the identities of lgtbq persons from countries where that is a crime. It's not journalism at that point. So no Wikileaks is not part of the 4th estate, that's an insult to real journalism.

 

[Jean-s]

Are you denying that revealing the names of people working against the Taliban places their lives in danger?

You can squawk about “propaganda” all you want; it doesn’t change the fact that Wikileaks deliberately risked the lives of Afghans opposing the Taliban.

There is no right to put other people’s lives in danger.

So says the U.S. government.

 

[joluoto]

So says the U.S. government.

That names of Afghan civilians were leaked is a fact.