Anyone else feel sorry for Julian Assange?

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo · 25-11-2016 11:36AM #1

Julian Assange has been effectively incarcerated for 5 years now but has never been charged with a crime. He has released documents that the powers that be didn't want him to, but to me that should never make someone a criminal. I think he has been treated unfairly.

Was reading his doctors report here which states he is living in conditions similar to those endured in Guantanamo Bay, which also coincidentally happens to hold people who have never been convicted of a crime.

His health is deteriorating according to the doctors report and he cannot receive adequate healthcare inside the embassy. I think he is being unjustly treated.

toptom · 25-11-2016 11:38AM

No he is no better than the terrorists America is trying to defeat. The rubbish he releases puts the troops and politicians in danger from terrorists and does nothing for moral in the war effort.

whiskeyman · 25-11-2016 11:40AM

Free rent.
Free wifi.

lucky lad

25-11-2016 11:41AM

Nope.

Why would I?

He knew that what he was doing was dangerous. He knew of the risks. Why would I feel sorry for someone who willingly put themselves in this position?

BrokenArrows · 25-11-2016 11:43AM

toptom wrote: »

No he is no better than the terrorists America is trying to defeat. The rubbish he releases puts the troops and politicians in danger from terrorists and does nothing for moral in the war effort.

Thats Bull****.
The war wouldnt exist if america would just keep its noses out of places where it didnt belong.

The wars in that region have been going on for a long long time and the US being involved have just made things worse.

Assange has been releasing documents which show the extent of what the US does illegally.

Advbrd · 25-11-2016 11:44AM

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

Julian Assange has been effectively incarcerated for 5 years now but has never been charged with a crime. He has released documents that the powers that be didn't want him to, but to me that should never make someone a criminal. I think he has been treated unfairly.

Was reading his doctors report here which states he is living in conditions similar to those endured in Guantanamo Bay, which also coincidentally happens to hold people who have never been convicted of a crime.

His health is deteriorating according to the doctors report and he cannot receive adequate healthcare inside the embassy. I think he is being unjustly treated.

So the Ecuadorian embassy is similar to Guantanamo Bay?

Your Face · 25-11-2016 11:45AM

I never will feel sorry for anyone called Julian.

dd972 · 25-11-2016 11:46AM

I hear Justeat.co.uk aren't complaining too loudly.

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo · 25-11-2016 11:47AM

toptom wrote: »

No he is no better than the terrorists America is trying to defeat. The rubbish he releases puts the troops and politicians in danger from terrorists and does nothing for moral in the war effort.

Who's troops and politicians? American troops who he showed killing unarmed civilians or American politicians who he showed to be corrupt and criminal? He's dangerous because he has helped release some truth into the world?

Or is the truth only for some people?

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo · 25-11-2016 11:48AM

Advbrd wrote: »

So the Ecuadorian embassy is similar to Guantanamo Bay?

The doctor in the report made the comparison. You are free to read it if you like.

ohnonotgmail · 25-11-2016 11:52AM

His situation is entirely of his own doing.

Nidom · 25-11-2016 11:55AM

A lot of speculation online that he's either dead, has escaped the embassy or been captured.

osarusan · 25-11-2016 11:55AM

Swedish prosecutors visited him about 10 days ago and he was questioned by them (or by the Ecuadorian prosecutor in their presence, something like that).

The statute of limitations has run out on every charge except the rape charge - that one will run out in 2020, so he might be in the embassy until then.

He has always said he is willing to go to Sweden if they promise that he won't be extradited to the USA, but they have refused to consider that (the Swedish government does have the power to make that promise though).

Advbrd · 25-11-2016 11:58AM

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

The doctor in the report made the comparison. You are free to read it if you like.

Read it. Thought the comparison was a bit overstated.

ohnonotgmail · 25-11-2016 11:59AM

osarusan wrote: »

Swedish prosecutors visited him about 10 days ago and he was questioned by them (or by the Ecuadorian prosecutor in their presence, something like that).

The interview was a nonsense.

osarusan wrote: »

The statute of limitations has run out on every charge except the rape charge - that one will run out in 2020, so he might be in the embassy until then.

He has always said he is willing to go to Sweden if they promise that he won't be extradited to the USA, but they have refused to consider that (the Swedish government does have the power to make that promise though).

that does seem to be his intention. a fine upstanding fellow.

5rtytry56 · 25-11-2016 11:59AM

Julian Assange categorically stated:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ7lYRnF1F8

No, I have no sympathy for Mr Assange.

EDIT: I have no respect for him.

BattleCorp · 25-11-2016 12:02PM

I wouldn't stir out of that embassy if I was him either. He'll never see the light of day if America get him.

seaniefr · 25-11-2016 12:04PM

Honestly who gives a toss? As they say here " if you are in a hole and can't get out it's best not to keep digging"

BrokenArrows · 25-11-2016 12:07PM

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

Julian Assange has been effectively incarcerated for 5 years now but has never been charged with a crime. He has released documents that the powers that be didn't want him to, but to me that should never make someone a criminal. I think he has been treated unfairly.

Was reading his doctors report here which states he is living in conditions similar to those endured in Guantanamo Bay, which also coincidentally happens to hold people who have never been convicted of a crime.

His health is deteriorating according to the doctors report and he cannot receive adequate healthcare inside the embassy. I think he is being unjustly treated.

I do feel sorry for him.
Hes basically screwed for the moment. But the swedes have begun interviewing him in the UK about the charges against him in Sweden.
So there is a chance they they will drop the charges at which point he can leave the embassy.

His only reason for not going to sweden is because he is afraid that they will extradite him to the USA.

Advbrd · 25-11-2016 12:08PM

5rtytry56 wrote: »

Julian Assange categorically stated:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ7lYRnF1F8

No, I have no sympathy for Mr Assange.

So the video shows that Hillary Clinton accepted that the Saudis were financing ISIL. I have no problem with that being leaked. On the other hand, it is a video from RT.

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo · 25-11-2016 12:09PM

Advbrd wrote: »

Read it. Thought the comparison was a bit overstated.

Well he is in a very unique situation that the vast majority of people have never had to go through. The doctor also made the comparison of his situation to being held in long term solitary confinement in a maximum security prison.

They are more than fine and adequate comparisons to me considering the doctors rational behind him saying it and the first hand experience he has of the situation.

I don't think anyone can say something is 'overstated' if a person has been confined to the same room for years, hasn't seen daylight, has been surrounded by armed guards 24/7 and hasn't seen their family in so long.

osarusan · 25-11-2016 12:11PM

BrokenArrows wrote: »

So there is a chance they they will drop the charges at which point he can leave the embassy.

Swedish court upheld the arrest warrant as recently as September.

Maybe things will change in the light of the recent interviews at the embassy.

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo · 25-11-2016 12:14PM

BrokenArrows wrote: »

I do feel sorry for him.
Hes basically screwed for the moment. But the swedes have begun interviewing him in the UK about the charges against him in Sweden.
So there is a chance they they will drop the charges at which point he can leave the embassy.

His only reason for not going to sweden is because he is afraid that they will extradite him to the USA.

Do you know why it has taken so many years for the Swedes to finally interview him?

fits · 25-11-2016 12:14PM

I was following the wikileaks page in run up to the US election and got the very strong impression it was being used to serve other interests. The amount of stuff they released about Clinton and none of it showed any substantive wrongdoing despite claims to the contrary. I think he has lost the plot to be honest and i am not following any more.

seamus · 25-11-2016 12:20PM

The recent activity by wikileaks has made me lose a lot of respect for Assange.

Whereas wikileaks claimed to be a bastion of transparency and a protector of the people, it's become clear that their motive is to influence governments and populations through intimidation and blackmail.

Advbrd · 25-11-2016 12:27PM

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

Well he is in a very unique situation that the vast majority of people have never had to go through. The doctor also made the comparison of his situation to being held in long term solitary confinement in a maximum security prison.

They are more than fine and adequate comparisons to me considering the doctors rational behind him saying it and the first hand experience he has of the situation.

I don't think anyone can say something is 'overstated' if a person has been confined to the same room for years, hasn't seen daylight, has been surrounded by armed guards 24/7 and hasn't seen their family in so long.

Yes he is deprived of a lot of freedom but he is not in a cramped cell, he is not subject to torture, he is not regularly shackled, to throw out but a few differences to the two situations. Thus I do think comparing his situation to that of a Gitmo detainee is overstating things just a tad.

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo · 25-11-2016 12:34PM

Advbrd wrote: »

Yes he is deprived of a lot of freedom but he is not in a cramped cell, he is not subject to torture, he is not regularly shackled, to throw out but a few differences to the two situations. Thus I do think comparing his situation to that of a Gitmo detainee is overstating things just a tad.

I think a person going through either of the situations will experience an anguish at the extreme high end of the scale and trying to make some distinctions between the two feels silly.

Advbrd · 25-11-2016 12:41PM

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

I think a person going through either of the situations will experience an anguish at the extreme high end of the scale and trying to make some distinctions between the two feels silly.

We'll agree to differ on that. I know where I would rather be.
Do you know whether he would be deported to the US if he left the embassy? Have the statute of limitations expired on all charges apart from the Swedish rape allegation?

irishash · 25-11-2016 01:12PM

I am no sympathy for him at all. He is using the implied threat of the US trying to extradite him as a excuse to run from sexual assault charges that occurred in Sweden. Do many people know what he has been accused of? It's not rape per say - He is accused of having unprotected sex with two women without their consent in regards to protection. Both women admit the sex was consenual but his actions during the sex was not acceptable to them (tearing a condom, engaging in sex with a sleeping woman)

If he had consented to a STD test as requested by the two women, then none of this would be an issue right now. He regarded this request as blackmail. So the women went to the police to get them to compel him to take a test. This is when the Swedish prosecutor gets involved, and when it is deemed a sexual assault took place.

He has a case to answer, and there is little doubt over this. The man is a coward who cannot face up to the actions he has taken in the past. He may be proven innocent by a Swedish court, if it gets that far, but he has litte interest in defending himself, preferring others to do it for him. By all accounts he is a deeply unsavoury individual in private with little regard for the wellbeing of anybody else, as evidence by his interactions with Guardian journos who were concerned over his lack of redacting in regards to US informants in Iraq.

I have a feeling that Ecuador, having taken him in due to bad relations with the US at the time, would gladly be rid of him now.

Ewekiddingme · 25-11-2016 01:20PM

I had sympathy in the past when it seemed Wikileaks were interested in total transparency. But lately, it feels like the info dumps have been strategically timed or withheld based on political factors. The organisation seems to have a political agenda now rather than being simply being a whistle blower.

astrofool · 25-11-2016 01:23PM

I don't think the statute of limitations should apply if you're just hiding from being charged.

The real issue is why the UK is putting up with Ecuador flouting their laws so openly, and why they haven't cut off diplomatic relations and expelled them. What Assange is doing is making a precedent for every other ne'er do well to hide away from justice, remembering that there are victims in this who must realise that a trial will never happen. The rapist Polanski being another insidious individual who hides away from the consequences of his own actions.

Anyone else feel sorry for Julian Assange?

Anyone else feel sorry for Julian Assange? 94 votes

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