caretaker

Can you post a link to the offer of clemency made to him? I hadn't heard about it. It's been over 2 months since a Swedish prosecutor questioned him, and he still hasn't been formally charged but to the US he is a high-level espionage target and the niceties of extradition can probably be waived. If he lives 3 more years in the embassy the sex charges expire but for President Trump (unless he has an epiphany about freedom of the press) getting Assange will be like killing Bin Laden was for Obama.

Shakyuk

It's been awhile since I read about this, at that time the Swedish prosecutors were not willing to release evidence to Julian's defence lawyers until they had him in custody. Even when Julian's defence lawyers agreed he would enter custody they still wouldn't release evidence. There were texts messages and statements to do with the two women making the allegations getting money for their story and other political motivations. The defence has a right to see the prosecutors material and so I can understand his concerns about not getting a fair trial.

With the case about extradition, Lauri Love's case cost millions and took over 4 years to get to where it is now. The opinions I read from political commentators was that the extradition process from Sweden was expected to be much quicker and more of a guarantee.

I could sympathise with his situation because Sweden don't appear to be following due process, America haven't tried to extradite from the UK which begs the question why? and America still have a guantanamo bay so aren't exactly as big defenders of freedom and democracy as they profess.

I think it is very plausible that he'll go to Sweden, the charges will be dropped and he'll end up in America facing trial. Yet as far as I'm aware nobody has gone on trial for the crimes he has exposed.

Shakyuk

Becuase of Trump's hostility towards the security service and their international meddling and his opposition to interference in the middle east, people aren't sure how he will react to Assange. Some even think he may pardon him just to slap them in the face.

With respect to Manning, it has already been said by the US that the case doesn't set a president and was entirely individual and so Julian would more than likely still be in jail. As far as I'm aware, it was Julian who actually posted her documents anyway.

caretaker

Read the Wikipedia page on Julian Assange, the minimum sentence for what he's charged with appears to be 45 years.

Davita

I think you need to read the preceding para to your above wiki info. That is the possible sentence if convicted of the charges...but NO charges have even been laid on Assange.

caretaker

That depends on whether or not you believe that they have a sealed indictment against him, just in case he should become available. That paragraph's up nearer the top though the government denies the report. Luxuries like formal charges and extradition agreements are for ordinary people anyway, and since he's considered a terrorist or as good as I can't blame him for hiding out. If the contract pilots hadn't talked we would never have learned about the network of prisons run by the US in foreign countries, and I'm not convinced they all got closed down as soon as they were discovered.

Novocastrian

Typo of the year award!!

Simon Legree

Except that The Donald already get the same award a few days ago in one of his famous tweets !

Ebonhawke

That was said in 2016 - it's now 2017. Don't worry however, President Snowflake will tweet something ridiculous in the next 350 days or so.

In other 'news', apparently Melania's speechwriter was apparently part of the inauguration party planning as well.

https://twitter.com/Duff_Goldman/sta...641216/photo/1

BritInParis

There isn't any clemency because he hasn't been charged with a crime by the United States, let alone convicted. Again, if the US wanted to do that, why not have done it whilst he was hanging out in the UK? He doesn't have to go to Sweden to face extraordinary rendition although I have to say that the idea that someone of his profile is going to be lifted off the streets by the CIA and end up in Guantanamo Bay is more than a little far-out.

caretaker

I wrote that in response to your post that if he had been extradited to the US his sentence wojld have been commuted along with Manning's; I think that's highly unlikely. I only believe the US government capable of dirty tricks that they have demonstrated themselves capsble and willing to perform over and over.

BristolUK

Maybe because they didn't feel the need to given that the Swedish system was already in motion. It might not have looked good...at the very least queue jumping.
I believe the idea originally was that Sweden would collude with the US and there would be no need for lifting off the streets...why Guantanamo anyway. It needn't be that extreme. I only mentioned that as an example of why people wouldn't trust the US. These suspicions were aroused because of the apparent U-Turn by Sweden when the US became interested.

It's also worth remembering that his 'profile' has only come about because of all this. Hardly anyone had heard of him at the time.