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posted by takyon on Friday May 19 2017, @05:49PM   Printer-friendly
from the embassy-bed-no-more dept.

Swedish prosecutor has decided to discontinue the investigation against Julian Assange, who has been accused of sex crimes in Sweden. If this means that Julian is free to leave the embassy to go to Ecuador or not remains to be seen.

takyon: It does not mean that Assange is free to leave the embassy at this time, although his lawyer is asking for an arrest warrant to be dropped:

The London Metropolitan Police, however, made it clear in a statement that there is an outstanding arrest warrant for Assange. "Westminster Magistrates' Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Julian Assange following him failing to surrender to the court on the 29 June 2012. The Metropolitan Police Service is obliged to execute that warrant should he leave the Embassy," it read.

The maximum penalty for breaching bail is up to a year in prison or a fine.

The police also recognized that Assange is now "wanted for a much less serious offense" and said they would "provide a level of resourcing which is proportionate to that offense."

It remains unclear whether there is a standing U.S. extradition order for Assange. The policy of Britain's Home Office is to neither confirm nor deny extradition orders until such time as a person has been arrested in relation to an order. Last month, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said he was stepping up efforts to arrest Assange as part of a broader fight against those who leak secrets into the public domain.

Also at BBC and The Guardian.


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  • (Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @05:55PM (7 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @05:55PM (#512278)

    Trump loves Wikileaks soooo much, if Assange leaves the embassy, Trump will rape Assange to death.

    • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday May 19 2017, @07:42PM (6 children)

      by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Friday May 19 2017, @07:42PM (#512326) Journal

      It would be beneath the dignity of a United States President to do such an inappropriate thing.

      --
      People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
      • (Score: 5, Funny) by DeathMonkey on Friday May 19 2017, @08:00PM (4 children)

        by DeathMonkey (1380) on Friday May 19 2017, @08:00PM (#512338) Journal

        It would be beneath the dignity of a United States President to do such an inappropriate thing.

        Exactly, that's why I predict it'll happen as early as next week.

        • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday May 19 2017, @08:11PM (3 children)

          by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Friday May 19 2017, @08:11PM (#512348) Journal

          Look. Trump managed to give a somewhat sane, calm state of the union address. He did not poop on the carpet -- which I had expected him to do. I know that is a very low bar to set for a president to give a speech without pooping on the carpet. But Trump did it. So have some faith. Maybe he can not sexually assault someone -- even though he was brave enough to admit that he just can't help himself. When you're president they'll let you do anything.

          --
          People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @09:34PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @09:34PM (#512392)

            Nope. That's not what happened.
            In order to report on your year's activities as president, you have to have been president for a year.
            What Donnie Tiny Hands gave wasn't a SotU.

            -- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]

          • (Score: 2) by edIII on Friday May 19 2017, @10:41PM (1 child)

            by edIII (791) on Friday May 19 2017, @10:41PM (#512419)

            Faith? Funny you mention that. I think that's what Imperial Officers run on when hoping not be forced choked to death by ol' Darth.

            --
            Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
            • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday May 22 2017, @07:05PM

              by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Monday May 22 2017, @07:05PM (#513673) Journal

              I find your lack of faith in this code disturbing.

              --
              People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
      • (Score: 2) by Thexalon on Friday May 19 2017, @09:46PM

        by Thexalon (636) on Friday May 19 2017, @09:46PM (#512396)

        the dignity of a United States President

        The what? There's nothing dignified about being president of the United States, and never has been. From sexual affairs to bowing-and-scraping at the feet of rich people to back-room language that would impress sailors, I'd be surprised to encounter a president with a shred of dignity.

        --
        The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
  • (Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @05:58PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @05:58PM (#512280)

    "It's a trap!"

    • (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @06:01PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @06:01PM (#512281)

      Smells fishy.

  • (Score: 3, Funny) by kaszz on Friday May 19 2017, @06:10PM (15 children)

    by kaszz (4211) on Friday May 19 2017, @06:10PM (#512284) Journal

    I know how Assange can leave the Ecuadorian embassy.. The problem is he can't leave it horizontally because then any ground transport or air travel will be intercepted. But vertical escape is not covered that easily. So start shipping an excavator in parts to build a underground rocket facility and ship the soil out the same way. Then ship the rocket parts and assembly it on site. Once finished, ride the rocket to the Kármán line and down to a landing site of his choosing.
    Or just build a tunnel to another building and exit through a diplomatic box. Which by convention cannot be inspected.

    Messy and costly but it can be done! :-)

    Enjoy the plan while listening to Ecuador [youtube.com].. :-)

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @06:15PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @06:15PM (#512286)

      Yes yes but how are SpaceX and The Boring Company involved?

      • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday May 19 2017, @07:27PM

        by kaszz (4211) on Friday May 19 2017, @07:27PM (#512313) Journal

        The Russkies are probably more interested in this ;)

    • (Score: 2) by DECbot on Friday May 19 2017, @07:59PM (5 children)

      by DECbot (832) on Friday May 19 2017, @07:59PM (#512337) Journal

      Sure he can exit through the tunnel to the diplomatic box, but he still has to show his passport at the boarder (tunnel, boat, or airplane). That is where he will be stopped and arrested. The officers at the embassy are only there to prevent him from using the front door and can tip off the board security when he leaves out the back (or box in this example).

      --
      cats~$ sudo chown -R us /home/base
      • (Score: 1) by nekomata on Friday May 19 2017, @08:15PM (3 children)

        by nekomata (5432) on Friday May 19 2017, @08:15PM (#512357)

        By that logic he would get a speeding ticket for riding a rocket beforehand.

        • (Score: 3, Funny) by c0lo on Friday May 19 2017, @08:25PM (2 children)

          by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Friday May 19 2017, @08:25PM (#512361) Journal

          By that logic he would get a speeding ticket for riding a rocket beforehand.

          Yeah... "Assange caught on low orbit by London police after a rocket chase. Gets a speeding fine, will fight the ticket in court"

          --
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
      • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday May 19 2017, @09:04PM

        by kaszz (4211) on Friday May 19 2017, @09:04PM (#512376) Journal

        The fine print of diplomatic box or bags etc is that they are exempt from customs. And boxes are not processed as humans, so no "papiren BITTE".

        Hmm, maybe the embassy needs to send some furniture home.. :p

    • (Score: 2) by Dunbal on Friday May 19 2017, @09:28PM (6 children)

      by Dunbal (3515) on Friday May 19 2017, @09:28PM (#512388)

      Much easier than that: As an Ecuadorian citizen Assange can be listed as part of embassy staff. Then he can be officially given the diplomatic bag to take to Ecuador. The holder of the diplomatic bag has ABSOLUTE immunity and cannot be arrested. If the UK does this - well, their diplomats everywhere and anywhere can be arrested and UK diplomatic documents seized.

      • (Score: 2) by edIII on Friday May 19 2017, @10:46PM

        by edIII (791) on Friday May 19 2017, @10:46PM (#512421)

        None of that helps us to recreate that scene in Spies Like Us where a huge box is shipped to Ecuador, you pop open the front, and see Assange in a recliner with beer cans and empty pork rind bags laying around him....

        --
        Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
      • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday May 19 2017, @11:22PM (1 child)

        by kaszz (4211) on Friday May 19 2017, @11:22PM (#512434) Journal

        So why are they not doing that? it seems very simple and cost effective.

        The story has a lot of similarities with József Mindszenty in 1956 who fled the Soviet intrigues and had to stay inside the US Embassy for 15 years and then got a negotiated free pass out. And these types of events seems to have a history back until 1726 [wikipedia.org].

        • (Score: 2) by Dunbal on Saturday May 20 2017, @03:38AM

          by Dunbal (3515) on Saturday May 20 2017, @03:38AM (#512515)

          Because the UK would probably just grab him anyway.

      • (Score: 3, Informative) by Unixnut on Saturday May 20 2017, @01:33AM (2 children)

        by Unixnut (5779) on Saturday May 20 2017, @01:33AM (#512472)

        Much easier than that: As an Ecuadorian citizen Assange can be listed as part of embassy staff. Then he can be officially given the diplomatic bag to take to Ecuador. The holder of the diplomatic bag has ABSOLUTE immunity and cannot be arrested. If the UK does this - well, their diplomats everywhere and anywhere can be arrested and UK diplomatic documents seized.

        Hmm, I don't know. the UK (and the USA and other NATO countries) have clearly shown consistent disregard for international law when it is in their interest, on the pretext of "might makes right". Assange and Snowden are great examples, such as with the grounding of the Bolivian presidents plane on the suspicion Snowden was on it, and the UN itself lambasted the UK for their behavior against Assange as a violation of international law, to which the response from the UK was the diplomatic equivalent of the middle finger.

        Not to mention the kidnap and torture of people. and the invading, bombing, forced redrawing of borders and overthrowing foreign governments if they are not subservient enough. All of which are violations of international law as well. Quite frankly it would be quicker to list the times that international law had not been violated by them.

        I can fully imagine they take action if they had to, and claim this was a "one off", or otherwise threaten retribution to any countries that wish to reciprocate such action against their diplomats. Hypocrisy is pretty much a requirement in politics from what I can see, so would not surprise me for it to happen.

        Of course, I try to not be a complete pessimist all the time, so I am hopeful this is really the end for Assange, and he can get out of that place as a free man (what an awful life, so many years stuck in a tiny London flat. That sofa he has been sleeping on all this time must really reek by now).

        • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Saturday May 20 2017, @08:33AM (1 child)

          by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Saturday May 20 2017, @08:33AM (#512548) Journal

          That sofa he has been sleeping on all this time must really reek by now

          What? You reckon they'd arrest the sofa as well if it goes out to be cleaned, or changed?
          Or are you of the people that never clean or change sofas?

          --
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 20 2017, @03:46PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 20 2017, @03:46PM (#512627)

            They send it out to be cleaned and it comes back with bugs.

  • (Score: 5, Interesting) by jmorris on Friday May 19 2017, @06:31PM (32 children)

    by jmorris (4844) on Friday May 19 2017, @06:31PM (#512292)

    Doesn't really matter other than now there won't be a fight between the US and Sweden when Assange turns himself in. Remember? He promised President Obama that if he let Manning out that he would give himself up. It is time to fulfill that promise. Now that we are in bizarro world it will the the Democrats baying for his blood and Trump's people probably calling for a lighter sentence. And at any moment Assange could drop a word on the Seth Rich murder and blow the current political world into orbit, and know he would almost certainly suffer the same fate as everyone else who pissed off the Clintons. Interesting times.

    • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @06:39PM (13 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @06:39PM (#512294)

      he would almost certainly suffer the same fate as everyone else who pissed off the Clintons.

      In other news, Anthony Weiner pled guilty and is going to federal prison. Cry murder all you like but it's always a weiner that finishes the Clintons.

      • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday May 19 2017, @07:45PM (12 children)

        by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Friday May 19 2017, @07:45PM (#512327) Journal

        Anthony Weiner will not go to prison. High Court. Low Court.

        But your remark about the Clintons could be correct.

        --
        People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
        • (Score: 2) by takyon on Friday May 19 2017, @07:51PM (11 children)

          by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Friday May 19 2017, @07:51PM (#512330) Journal

          https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/19/nyregion/anthony-weiner-guilty-plea-sexting.html [nytimes.com]

          Mr. Weiner, 52, will have to register as a sex offender where he works and lives, and he may face a prison term. He pleaded guilty to transferring obscene material to a minor, which carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

          Federal prosecutors said in the plea agreement that a sentence in the range of 21 to 27 months would be “fair and appropriate.” Mr. Weiner is to be sentenced on Sept. 8 in Federal District Court in Manhattan.

          --
          [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
          • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday May 19 2017, @07:58PM (8 children)

            by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Friday May 19 2017, @07:58PM (#512336) Journal

            which carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison

            For people who go to Low Court.

            0 <= sentence <= 10

            --
            People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
            • (Score: 2) by takyon on Friday May 19 2017, @08:05PM (7 children)

              by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Friday May 19 2017, @08:05PM (#512342) Journal

              "Anthony Weiner will not go to prison."

              - DannyB

              Federal prosecutors said in the plea agreement that a sentence in the range of 21 to 27 months would be “fair and appropriate.”

              --
              [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
              • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday May 19 2017, @08:13PM (6 children)

                by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Friday May 19 2017, @08:13PM (#512353) Journal

                Ok. I just wouldn't expect justice for someone who was a congress critter. But strange things happen.

                --
                People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
                • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @08:52PM (5 children)

                  by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @08:52PM (#512369)

                  > Ok. I just wouldn't expect justice for someone who was a congress critter

                  Seems like it happens often enough. Here's an incomplete list of recent sitting members of congress who were sentenced to prison:

                  Michael Grimm - 8 months in prison
                  Rick Renzi - 3 months in prison
                  William Jefferson - 13 years in prison
                  James Traficant - 8 years in prison
                  Nicholas Mavroules - 15 months in prison
                  Mel Reynolds - 6 years in prison
                  Walter R Tucker III 27 months in prison
                  Dan Rostenkowski - 15 months in prison
                  Joseph Kolter - 6 months in prison
                  Bob Ney - 17 months in prison (this was the guy who invented freedom fries)

                  And of course Dennis Hastert got a 15 month prison sentence, like Weiner he was not in congress at the time of his indictment.
                  There are probably more former congress members who got prison sentences too, I'm just too lazy to look for them.

                  The point being that for all of our flaws, in America we still do hold power to account on a regular basis.
                  We aren't perfect, but we are better than most other countries. Don't let them trick you into believing otherwise.

                  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 20 2017, @01:15AM (4 children)

                    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 20 2017, @01:15AM (#512470)

                    Heh. Haha. That's a good one.

                    The people you vote for are not the people running things. The career bureaucrats of the "shadow government" who can be drained from the swamp are not the people running things, either.

                    You are all cows, etc.

                    • (Score: 1) by charon on Saturday May 20 2017, @04:41AM (3 children)

                      by charon (5660) on Saturday May 20 2017, @04:41AM (#512520) Journal
                      Oh wait, I know this one. Is it the nefarious and indefatigable forces of International Jewry?
                      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 20 2017, @05:24AM (2 children)

                        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 20 2017, @05:24AM (#512529)

                        Nice strawman

                        • (Score: 1) by charon on Sunday May 21 2017, @01:35AM (1 child)

                          by charon (5660) on Sunday May 21 2017, @01:35AM (#512827) Journal
                          It was worth a shot. Most conspiracy theorists I've interacted with here are also rabid and insane anti-semites.
                          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 21 2017, @02:48PM

                            by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 21 2017, @02:48PM (#513030)

                            AC upvote for insightful

          • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday May 19 2017, @08:00PM (1 child)

            by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Friday May 19 2017, @08:00PM (#512339) Journal

            If Mr. Weiner does get prison. I won't shed a tear. It's not that I like the guy.

            --
            People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @08:05PM

              by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @08:05PM (#512343)

              Best example of nominative determinism ever.

    • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @06:39PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @06:39PM (#512295)

      And at any moment Assange could drop a word on the Seth Rich murder and blow the current political world into orbit, and know he would almost certainly suffer the same fate as everyone else who pissed off the Clintons.

      If you really believe all this, I have a vacuum to sell you. It blows.

    • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @07:03PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @07:03PM (#512303)

      It is time to fulfill that promise.

      He/his lawyer already weaseled out of it because Obama didn't exactly fulfill his part of the deal.

      I argue semantics for trivial things even when my ass isn't on the line, so I can't really fault him. IIRC Manning was supposed to receive a full pardon immediately in exchange for Assange turning himself in for a trial.

    • (Score: 4, Informative) by Grishnakh on Friday May 19 2017, @07:31PM (1 child)

      by Grishnakh (2831) on Friday May 19 2017, @07:31PM (#512317)

      Now that we are in bizarro world it will the the Democrats baying for his blood and Trump's people probably calling for a lighter sentence.

      What are you talking about? It looks like Trump wants Joe Lieberman to be the next FBI head, and Lieberman is already talking about how badly he wants to prosecute Assange.

      It's funny how the Trumpists all think that Trump is somehow different and better from the regular politicians, and is going to do things differently instead of being beholden to various moneyed interests. Trump has already proven that wrong many times.

      • (Score: 4, Informative) by Thexalon on Friday May 19 2017, @10:02PM

        by Thexalon (636) on Friday May 19 2017, @10:02PM (#512404)

        Joe Lieberman has wanted Assange's head on a pike since 2010 or so when Wikileaks released the Collateral Murder video. And I'm speaking only somewhat metaphorically here: He was among those calling for drone strikes and shooting Assange on sight. He was also at the forefront of attempting to silence Wikileaks by cutting off their funding by calling up the major credit card processors and demanding that they refuse to process transactions for Wikileaks (you still can't donate directly).

        --
        The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
    • (Score: 3, Informative) by butthurt on Friday May 19 2017, @07:36PM (10 children)

      by butthurt (6141) on Friday May 19 2017, @07:36PM (#512321) Journal

      > He promised President Obama that if he let Manning out that he would give himself up.

      The offer was made on Twitter:

      If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case

      -- https://mobile.twitter.com/wikileaks/status/819630102787059713 [twitter.com]

      After clemency was granted, however, Wikileaks stated that it wasn't what Assange had asked for or meant.

      http://www.cbsnews.com/news/wikileaks-julian-assange-extradition-pledge-chelsea-manning-clemency/ [cbsnews.com]
      thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/314783-assange-lawyer-conditions-not-met-for-assange-manning-extradition-offer

      • (Score: 2) by takyon on Friday May 19 2017, @07:40PM (3 children)

        by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Friday May 19 2017, @07:40PM (#512324) Journal

        The U.S. hasn't officially sought Assange's extradition. Not under Obama anyway.

        --
        [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
        • (Score: 2) by butthurt on Friday May 19 2017, @08:31PM

          by butthurt (6141) on Friday May 19 2017, @08:31PM (#512365) Journal

          The summary says

          It remains unclear whether there is a standing U.S. extradition order for Assange.

          Is it wrong?

        • (Score: 2) by Thexalon on Friday May 19 2017, @10:11PM

          by Thexalon (636) on Friday May 19 2017, @10:11PM (#512408)

          That is correct.

          Extradition implies that the US is going to put Julian Assange on trial. The problem with putting Assange on trial is that his lawyers could very easily (under a fair judge at least) get the case dismissed on the grounds that he's never been in US jurisdiction, and the Pentagon Papers case makes it very clear that what he did was legal even if he had been in US jurisdiction.

          However, the Swedes very noticeably refused to question Assange without having him in physical custody, and refused in the UK courts to promise that they would not turn him over to the US. Which means that the US does want to get their hands on him.

          That means the US wants to have him, but not to try him. Which means Assange wouldn't be headed to a US courtroom or even a US prison, he'd be headed to a facility where he could be tortured, or killed immediately.

          --
          The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
        • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday May 20 2017, @07:53PM

          by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Saturday May 20 2017, @07:53PM (#512692) Journal

          The US hasn't made a PUBLIC formal extradition request. These things aren't done in public, after all. One of the UK articles specifically notes that the Brits don't make them public, until after an arrest is made.

          I, for one, believe that there is a standing extradition agreement over Assange, between the US and the UK. The day he walks out of that embassy, he'll be grabbed, attend a couple hearings, then soon be on a plane to the US.

      • (Score: 1, Troll) by jmorris on Friday May 19 2017, @08:11PM (4 children)

        by jmorris (4844) on Friday May 19 2017, @08:11PM (#512347)

        What? You are trying to say the Lightworker bought a bag of magic beans from Assange and when he opened it only found rocks? No way! Obama is smarter than his own advisors, a better speechwriter than his speechwriters, no way the smartest man to ever sit in the Oval Office got took in a bait and switch. A man who put a thrill up the leg of serious, seasoned journalists. Look at my shocked face!

        • (Score: 2) by butthurt on Friday May 19 2017, @08:27PM (3 children)

          by butthurt (6141) on Friday May 19 2017, @08:27PM (#512362) Journal

          No, I wasn't trying to say that. I don't know Mr. Obama's motivations.

          • (Score: 0, Troll) by jmorris on Friday May 19 2017, @09:40PM (2 children)

            by jmorris (4844) on Friday May 19 2017, @09:40PM (#512394)

            So you are implying Obama just turned a traitor out of prison because he hates America? Because it really does come down to one or the other as there was no legitimate reason to release the convicted traitor other than a trade.

            • (Score: 1) by butthurt on Friday May 19 2017, @09:56PM (1 child)

              by butthurt (6141) on Friday May 19 2017, @09:56PM (#512401) Journal

              I wasn't implying that either. I only wanted to point out that there was something factual in what you had written.

              • (Score: 3, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 20 2017, @01:27AM

                by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 20 2017, @01:27AM (#512471)

                I only wanted to point out that there was something factual in what you had written.

                You shouldn't have bothered. Including something factual was probably an oversight on jmorris' part. I'm sure he won't let it happen again.

      • (Score: 2) by butthurt on Sunday May 21 2017, @12:22AM

        by butthurt (6141) on Sunday May 21 2017, @12:22AM (#512797) Journal

        Another article explains the distinctions among a pardon, clemency, and commutation:

        A "pardon wipes out the conviction while a commutation leaves the conviction intact but wipes out the punishment."

        [...]

        Commutation is a form of clemency [...]

        -- http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=3339765&page=1 [go.com]

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @08:01PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @08:01PM (#512340)

      Doesn't really matter other than now there won't be a fight between the US and Sweden when Assange turns himself in. Remember? He promised President Obama that if he let Manning out that he would give himself up. It is time to fulfill that promise

      It wasn't a promise, it was an offer which Obama rejected.

    • (Score: 2) by sjames on Saturday May 20 2017, @12:30AM

      by sjames (2882) on Saturday May 20 2017, @12:30AM (#512456) Journal

      He promised to turn himself in if Manning was PARDONED. Manning's sentence was commuted. That's not the same thing.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 20 2017, @02:53AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 20 2017, @02:53AM (#512503)

      No, the promise was to turn himself in if Manning was *fully pardoned*. He hasn't been pardoned.

      But it still brings up the Rhetorical Question Of The Day:

      If the Americans have nothing to do with this, and if - as claimed - there are no proceedings nor charges laid against him (other than bail-skipping, which is a British matter), then who exactly is he supposed to be giving himself up to in the US, and for what?

  • (Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @06:57PM (6 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @06:57PM (#512302)

    I hope the day Assange steps out of the embassy, Chelsea Manning is waiting there with an anti-tank missile that blows him to shards. Assange built his "brand" (vomit, vomit) out of the info Manning gave him, then lifted not a single finger to help Manning as s/he got convicted and sent to jail. Assange is a selfish, narcissistic weasel.

    Chelsea is out again, living a free life as a woman. If anyone ever asks her about her sexual history, she can rightly claim she already got royally fucked by Assange.

    Assange can go choke on a bag of dicks, for all I care. He's human garbage. The rape charges were trumped up, to be sure. But he's still garbage.

    • (Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @08:12PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @08:12PM (#512350)

      I hope the day Assange steps out of the embassy, Chelsea Manning is waiting there with an anti-tank missile that blows him to shards. Assange built his "brand" (vomit, vomit) out of the info Manning gave him, then lifted not a single finger to help Manning as s/he got convicted and sent to jail. Assange is a selfish, narcissistic weasel.

      Sadly, I have to agree.
      When Assange said he would agree to be extradited if Manning was freed, it was just another publicity stunt for Assange.
      We know this because when Obama announced he was commuting her sentence, Assange literally said Obama did it to make life hard for him. [independent.co.uk] Not one ounce of compassion for Manning. Narcissistic weasel is right. Assange should hand off wikileaks to someone more trustworthy.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @11:02PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @11:02PM (#512430)

        Assange should hand off wikileaks to someone more trustworthy.

        I trust Assange to fulfil the Wkileaks mission - Manning didn't land in prison because of Assange [wikipedia.org].
        You have something to prove otherwise?

    • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday May 19 2017, @08:23PM (1 child)

      by bob_super (1357) on Friday May 19 2017, @08:23PM (#512360)

      Manning is in a car parked outside, doing her nails.
      She's got a multi-tube rocket launcher, a flame thrower, and an automatic assault rifle.

      It's dark, and Assange is wearing sunglasses.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 20 2017, @02:51PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 20 2017, @02:51PM (#512622)

        Hit it

    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by corey on Friday May 19 2017, @10:38PM

      by corey (2202) on Friday May 19 2017, @10:38PM (#512418)

      So much vitriol.

      What did assange do against Manning? Its more like what he didn't do. You're deluded if you think he had influence over Manning's treatment in the US. I think he knew he couldn't influence the US govt so he just kept doing his work.

      Agree he is a bit of a media hoe but that's no reason to go on like he's the most evil human ever.

      Wikileaks continue to do good work and he is part of that.

      My view is that he deserves to be pissed that he's had to spend 7 years in the embassy due to a very dubious case against him with even more dubious actions by nations to detain him.

    • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Saturday May 20 2017, @12:17AM

      by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Saturday May 20 2017, @12:17AM (#512448) Journal

      Chelsea is out again, living a free life as a woman. If anyone ever asks her about her sexual history, she can rightly claim she already got royally fucked by ̶A̶s̶s̶a̶n̶g̶e̶ Adrian Lamo. [wikipedia.org]

      FTFY

      --
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by cafebabe on Friday May 19 2017, @07:30PM (8 children)

    by cafebabe (894) on Friday May 19 2017, @07:30PM (#512316) Journal

    So, he's wanted for resisting arrest? With no other charges pending?

    --
    1702845791×2
    • (Score: 3, Interesting) by takyon on Friday May 19 2017, @07:42PM (7 children)

      by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Friday May 19 2017, @07:42PM (#512325) Journal

      It's a breach of bail conditions, not resisting arrest. Aside from that technical point, he is indeed wanted solely for skipping bail in relation to international charges that no longer exist.

      --
      [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
      • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @07:57PM (6 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 19 2017, @07:57PM (#512335)

        Is that a reason to give him a pass? If someone steals property that ends up being destroyed while he's being chased, do you drop the charges? And in this case, the international charges don't exist exactly because he breached his bail. I don't see how you can drop those charges

        • (Score: 2) by takyon on Friday May 19 2017, @08:12PM (2 children)

          by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Friday May 19 2017, @08:12PM (#512349) Journal

          Is that a reason to give him a pass?

          That's up to the Brits. They have blown a fair chunk of change watching Assange. If they want to continue to pursue Assange's arrest, that's up to them. Assange could be persuaded to surrender himself if the lawyers get together and take extradition off the table. However the cynically minded will note that the embassy stay has given Assange a lot of free publicity and that he may want the current situation to continue indefinitely.

          And in this case, the international charges don't exist exactly because he breached his bail.

          From the article:

          Swedish prosecutors refused to interrogate him in London for several years. After being criticized by a Swedish court for not processing the case quickly enough, prosecutor Marianne Ny stated in 2015 that they would be willing to question Assange in London.

          Julian Assange was interrogated at the embassy in London in November 2016. His attorney Per E Samuelson said afterward that the case against Assange had been weakened, and the arrest warrant should be dropped.

          Assange was originally suspected of sex crimes against two women. By August 2015, three of the charges against him regarding sexual molestation and unlawful coercion were dropped, because the statute of limitations had expired. One rape charge rape, remained.

          This charge was dropped today, Friday.

          --
          [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
          • (Score: 2) by butthurt on Friday May 19 2017, @10:34PM

            by butthurt (6141) on Friday May 19 2017, @10:34PM (#512416) Journal

            AC> And in this case, the international charges don't exist exactly because he breached his bail.

            I see congruence between what the AC wrote and what the prosecutor said:

            Significantly, [prosecutor Marianne Ny] said Assange’s failure to show up in Sweden and likely future noncooperation were important factors in her decision, noting that “the risk Julian Assange would evade having legal proceedings against him” had been of “continued importance”.

            -- https://www.buzzfeed.com/franciswhittaker/sweden-has-dropped-its-case-against-julian-assange [buzzfeed.com]

            From the BBC article linked from the summary:

            Why has the case been dropped?

            At a press briefing on Friday, Sweden's top prosecutor Marianne Ny said that by remaining in the embassy in London Mr Assange had evaded the exercise of the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) that would have seen him extradited to Sweden.

            She said that under Swedish law a criminal investigation needed to be conducted "as quickly as possible".

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 20 2017, @12:40AM

            by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 20 2017, @12:40AM (#512458)
            From the Swedish Prosecution Authority which was pursuing the questioning:

            They're also trying to blame Ecuador for their own unwillingness to follow their own laws, rules, and guidelines regarding questioning. Assange has offered to do the questioning there with investigators visiting the UK or over the phone. Both are established practice for Swedish investigations. The Swedish Prosecution Authority has consistently avoided doing so or even admitting that it is their practice to do so.

        • (Score: 4, Insightful) by tangomargarine on Friday May 19 2017, @08:14PM (2 children)

          by tangomargarine (667) on Friday May 19 2017, @08:14PM (#512355)

          A more accurate analogy would be chasing a guy for shoplifting, the merchandise gets destroyed, and then they find out while he's still on the run that he paid for it in the first place.

          --
          "Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 20 2017, @03:55PM (1 child)

            by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 20 2017, @03:55PM (#512630)

            And that he raped a couple of women too.

            • (Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Monday May 22 2017, @02:32PM

              by tangomargarine (667) on Monday May 22 2017, @02:32PM (#513503)

              Allegedly raped, then they dropped the charges. So legally, no he didn't.

              --
              "Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
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