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salienneOkay, so there's a lot of misinformation out there. Like, a lot. So I thought it would be useful to lay out what the charges against Assange actually are.
Quoting from this Guardian article:
Gemma Lindfield, representing the Swedish authorities, told the court he was wanted in connection with four allegations.
The first complainant, a Miss A, said she was the victim of "unlawful coercion" on the night of 14 August in Stockholm. The court heard Assange was alleged to have "forcefully" held her arms and used his bodyweight to hold her down. The second charge alleged he "sexually molested" her by having sex without using a condom, when it was her "express wish" that one should be used.
A third charge claimed Assange "deliberately molested" Miss A on 18 August.
A fourth charge, relating to a Miss W, alleged that on 17 August, he "improperly exploited" the fact she was asleep to have sex with her without a condom.
Yes, the amount of effort Sweden is exerting to get Assange back is completely out of whack with how it pursues other alleged rapists, and yes, there is clear exploitation of these charges on the part of various governments. That does not mean, however, that these charges are false, or that Assange should not stand trial and, if convicted, go to jail for these alleged crimes.
Quoting from this Guardian article:
Gemma Lindfield, representing the Swedish authorities, told the court he was wanted in connection with four allegations.
The first complainant, a Miss A, said she was the victim of "unlawful coercion" on the night of 14 August in Stockholm. The court heard Assange was alleged to have "forcefully" held her arms and used his bodyweight to hold her down. The second charge alleged he "sexually molested" her by having sex without using a condom, when it was her "express wish" that one should be used.
A third charge claimed Assange "deliberately molested" Miss A on 18 August.
A fourth charge, relating to a Miss W, alleged that on 17 August, he "improperly exploited" the fact she was asleep to have sex with her without a condom.
Yes, the amount of effort Sweden is exerting to get Assange back is completely out of whack with how it pursues other alleged rapists, and yes, there is clear exploitation of these charges on the part of various governments. That does not mean, however, that these charges are false, or that Assange should not stand trial and, if convicted, go to jail for these alleged crimes.