Swedish prosecutor says to drop Assange investigation

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Swedish prosecutor says to drop Assange investigation

 

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Swedish prosecutors said on Friday they had dropped an investigation of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange over a rape allegation, but British police said he would still be arrested if he left the Ecuadorean embassy in London where he has been holed up.

 

Assange, 45, took refuge in the embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over the rape allegation, which he denies.

 

He feared Sweden would hand him over to the United States to face prosecution over WikiLeaks' publication of thousands of classified military and diplomatic documents in one of the largest information leaks in U.S. history.

 

The Swedish prosecutor's office said in a statement it had decided to end its investigation. In a court document seen by Reuters, chief prosecutor Marianne Ny said there were no further avenues to pursue to take the investigation forward.

 

However, London police issued a statement after the Swedish announcement making clear Assange was still wanted by them.

 

"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 police said.

 

"The Metropolitan Police Service is obliged to execute that warrant should he leave the Embassy."

 

(Reporting by Stockholm Newsroom; Editing by Niklas Pollard and Gareth Jones)
 

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-05-19

[impulse]

I'm sensing a conspiracy between the UK, USA, Sweden and Ecuador, who will now shag him out of the Embassy because he "no longer needs sanctuary" now that those charges have been abandoned.

 

The UK will scoop him up and he'll be on a flight to the USA in handcuffs and ankle chains faster than he can blink.

[alocacoc]

5 minutes ago, impulse said:

I'm sensing a conspiracy between the UK, USA, Sweden and Ecuador, who will now shag him out of the Embassy because he "no longer needs sanctuary" now that those charges have been abandoned.

 

The UK will scoop him up and he'll be on a flight to the USA in handcuffs and ankle chains faster than he can blink.

 

[impulse]

Whether they have or not (received an extradition request) doesn't matter.  

 

The extradition paperwork can already be signed and on the fax machine in DC, waiting for someone to push the send button, with one of the UK cops assigned to watch Assange sitting on the receiving fax machine 24/7.

 

Edited May 19, 2017 by impulse

[alocacoc]

Scotland Yard today said they would be obliged to arrest Mr Assange if he leaves the embassy as there is still an active warrant for his extradition to Sweden despite the decision to drop the case.

 

http://www.itv.com/news/2017-05-19/sweden-drops-rape-investigation-against-julian-assange/

[Grouse]

Please Mr Trump, if we give you Assange, will you give us a trade deal? Oh, go on. Pleeeease ?

 

Love from

 

Teresa ???

Edited May 19, 2017 by Grouse

[gk10002000]

aren't diplomatic vehicles, cars, helicopters out of reach, just as the embassy grounds are?  Could Equador drive or fly him away to some other country

[midas]

He needs a flash-crowd of a hundred thousand supporters (or more) to show up on a certain date in from of the Ecuadoran Embassy and grab and hug every British cop or official that even appears while a team spirits him away. A thousand people will dress like him and head off in 360 directions and do the same.   

[SheungWan]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

I'm sensing a conspiracy between the UK, USA, Sweden and Ecuador, who will now shag him out of the Embassy because he "no longer needs sanctuary" now that those charges have been abandoned.

 

The UK will scoop him up and he'll be on a flight to the USA in handcuffs and ankle chains faster than he can blink.

Keep us posted on your 'sensing'. Its the best we have got to go on.

[RuamRudy]

50 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

aren't diplomatic vehicles, cars, helicopters out of reach, just as the embassy grounds are?  Could Equador drive or fly him away to some other country

Did the Europeans not force Evo Morales' plane to land on the mistaken belief that Edward Snowden was on board? I am sure that Assange would not get very far. People who make bad people look bad need to be made an example of. 

[RuamRudy]

10 minutes ago, midas said:

He needs a flash-crowd of a hundred thousand supporters (or more) to show up on a certain date in from of the Ecuadoran Embassy and grab and hug every British cop or official that even appears while a team spirits him away. A thousand people will dress like him and head off in 360 directions and do the same.   

The UK is about to return to office the most Draconian, right wing threat to the country in a generation. We don't care about the human rights of others. We will ignore any call to help, but buy the newspapers that support TM and decry  as traitors those they see as enemies of the state. 

[SheungWan]

11 minutes ago, midas said:

He needs a flash-crowd of a hundred thousand supporters (or more) to show up on a certain date in from of the Ecuadoran Embassy and grab and hug every British cop or official that even appears while a team spirits him away. A thousand people will dress like him and head off in 360 directions and do the same.   

The Soi Buakaow Bar crowd go into overdrive with suggestions.

[In the jungle]

"Mr Assange remains wanted for a much less serious offence (breaching bail). The MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) will provide a level of resourcing which is proportionate to that offence.”

 

From the Guardian.  Additions in parentheses are mine.

 

The inference I draw from that is that there would no longer be a 24/7 police presence outside the Ecuador Embassy.

 

 

[Rhys]

This guy advised Snowden, he will have no issues with the wannabes..

[midas]

16 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

The UK is about to return to office the most Draconian, right wing threat to the country in a generation. We don't care about the human rights of others. We will ignore any call to help, but buy the newspapers that support TM and decry  as traitors those they see as enemies of the state. 

On the other hand Jeremy Corbyn said this in an interview with Newstatesman..................

 

 

Quote

 

NS Do you still support Julian Assange, of WikiLeaks fame? Do you still think he’s “imprisoned” in the Ecuadorean embassy in London?

 

JC He’s taken himself into the embassy because he felt that, had he been taken back to Sweden, he would be taken forcibly to the US. The Swedish are unclear about what would happen to him in Sweden. I think it would be much better if the Swedish authorities investigated the case against him, decided whether there was a case for a prosecution or not, and dealt with it that way, while guaranteeing that under no circumstances would he be extradited to the US.

 

 

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2015/07/jeremy-corbyn-interview-i-think-we-have-think-terms-disillusioned-who-didn-t

[canuckamuck]

20 minutes ago, In the jungle said:

"Mr Assange remains wanted for a much less serious offence (breaching bail). The MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) will provide a level of resourcing which is proportionate to that offence.”

 

From the Guardian.  Additions in parentheses are mine.

 

The inference I draw from that is that there would no longer be a 24/7 police presence outside the Ecuador Embassy.

 

 

It's not the regular police he needs to worry about. 

[In the jungle]

I think you are wrong about that.

 

If the police cannot justify parking PC Plod on his doorstep then I cannot see the security services devoting resources to it.

 

I think the ball is really in America's court now.  If they were to seek his extradition the situation would be quite different.

[wombat]

has anything been done about what he exposed ?

 

[janclaes47]

15 hours ago, midas said:

He needs a flash-crowd of a hundred thousand supporters (or more) to show up on a certain date in from of the Ecuadoran Embassy and grab and hug every British cop or official that even appears while a team spirits him away. A thousand people will dress like him and head off in 360 directions and do the same.   

 

Couldn't he just escape like this with hundreds of police in front of the embassy?

 

[impulse]

14 hours ago, In the jungle said:

I think the ball is really in America's court now.  If they were to seek his extradition the situation would be quite different.

 

They'd be idiots to formally request extradition while he's still holed up.  Better to let him leave the embassy, let the UK popo grab him, then file for extradition.

 

But he's no idiot, either.

[Fulwell53]

Assange, Manning and Snowden shold be recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize for services to opening the eyes of the world to corrupt regimes in the ys, uk etc.

Happy for assange that sweden have closed the door on this trumped up charge and charade.  Let's get on with prosecuting real criminals and warmongers like bush junior, blair and trump.

[midas]

1 hour ago, Fulwell53 said:

Assange, Manning and Snowden shold be recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize for services to opening the eyes of the world to corrupt regimes in the ys, uk etc.

Happy for assange that sweden have closed the door on this trumped up charge and charade.  Let's get on with prosecuting real criminals and warmongers like bush junior, blair and trump.

Yes I saw this morning one British newspaper even described him as a creep on their front page 

the real creeps are the British who continue to kowtow  to the Americans who were clearly embarrassed when Assange revealed the murder from the helicopter caught on video of those totally innocent victims  

[RuamRudy]

1 hour ago, wombat said:

has anything been done about what he exposed ?

 

Yes. Our governments have increased their persecution of whistleblowers in order to deter others from exposing illegal activities, and they have also increased web snooping in order to root out the sources of dissent before they can prove to be a thorn in the establishment's side.

 

Obama’s Legacy: A Historic War On Whistleblowers

[RandG]

It is unlikely that the Swedes would have allowed his extradition to the US and it it is also unlikely that Obama would have requested it. Now the Swedes are out of the loop, and Trump is in power, there is a much higher chance of the US requesting it, and the UK accepting it, so he might be in his little spare room for a while yet. Should have faced up to the charges in Sweden if he was innocent as he says.

[canuckamuck]

16 hours ago, In the jungle said:

I think you are wrong about that.

 

If the police cannot justify parking PC Plod on his doorstep then I cannot see the security services devoting resources to it.

 

I think the ball is really in America's court now.  If they were to seek his extradition the situation would be quite different.

I assume you were responding to me.

Do you really think the UK would let a hot potato like Assange slip away because of police budget restraints? Can you imagine the poo storm that would result? He won't move an inch without a few lettered agencies having eyes on him

[In the jungle]

4 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

I assume you were responding to me.

Do you really think the UK would let a hot potato like Assange slip away because of police budget restraints? Can you imagine the poo storm that would result? He won't move an inch without a few lettered agencies having eyes on him

 

Yes I was responding to you based on my interpretation of Met Police comments.

 

The onus is on the Americans now if they want to get their hands on Assange.

 

 

[anon4546543]

2 hours ago, wombat said:

has anything been done about what he exposed ?

 

Yes he put it away and zipped up his trousers

[alocacoc]

3 hours ago, Fulwell53 said:

Assange, Manning and Snowden shold be recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize for services to opening the eyes of the world to corrupt regimes in the ys, uk etc.

Happy for assange that sweden have closed the door on this trumped up charge and charade.  Let's get on with prosecuting real criminals and warmongers like bush junior, blair and trump.

And Seth Rich.

[Retiredandhappyhere]

19 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

The UK is about to return to office the most Draconian, right wing threat to the country in a generation. We don't care about the human rights of others. We will ignore any call to help, but buy the newspapers that support TM and decry  as traitors those they see as enemies of the state. 

What on earth are you drinking?  I want to make sure that I don't drink any of the same. Your post must surely qualify as the most biased political comment on here at least.........since your last one.

Edited May 20, 2017 by Retiredandhappyhere
Better wording

[the guest]

The population of Sweden has said it was a 'scandal' that such charges should be dropped, when most in the civilized world must be bound by the same type of justice. Assange knew exactly what he was doing, and the consequences thereof.

Of course USA will now seek to arrest this twerp, where its only a matter of time, where they will be able to extradite him to face charges.