Assange seeks asylum in Ecuador embassy, London

[DotCommunist]

Sobering lesson in not trusting this Internet of Things idea too far.

and you've reminded me that teledildonics is a real word. Sigh.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

OK, so looks like the US may be gearing up to put an arrest warrant out on Assange, which would give him a genuine reason to stay in the embassy as the UK or Swedish authorities would actually nick him on that and send him to the States.

So with that in mind; He can't be touched whilst in the embassy. Equally he can't be touched in an embassy car, nor on a diplomatic flight, so it must be possible to get him in to a motor and off to Luton for a private flight to South America, no?

 

[Spymaster]

Give him to the yanks.

 

[EastEnder]

He should be given to the Swedish authorities to answer for the sexual assault charges, which are, imho, a lot more serious than spilling the beans on the Yanks.

Once he's been dealt with by the Swedes - and served any relevant sentence if any is deemed appropriate - only then should the smug, supercilious, self absorbed twat be gently handed over to the Americans for a bit of light-hearted water boarding & testicle electrocution.

 

[not-bono-ever]

he needs to use his special internetz skills and hack into the area 51 server, download some info and build himself an interplantary craft to escape the clutches of the septics

 

[SpookyFrank]

OK, so looks like the US may be gearing up to put an arrest warrant out on Assange, which would give him a genuine reason to stay in the embassy as the UK or Swedish authorities would actually nick him on that and send him to the States.

So with that in mind; He can't be touched whilst in the embassy. Equally he can't be touched in an embassy car, nor on a diplomatic flight, so it must be possible to get him in to a motor and off to Luton for a private flight to South America, no?

Even if it was technically possible, and the Ecuadorians could be bothered, in the real world he'd just get stopped and arrested at some point between the embassy and the airport tarmac.

 

[mikey mikey]

Disturbing.

only then should the smug, supercilious, self absorbed twat be gently handed over to the Americans for a bit of light-hearted water boarding & testicle electrocution.

Very disturbing.

 

[2hats]

 

[danny la rouge]

Disturbing. Very disturbing.

 

[TheHoodedClaw]

So he still faces the skipping bail charge then?

 

[Wilf]

So, presumably, attention now shifts to whether Trump pushes for extradition. I expect he won't be leaving the Embassy any time soon.

 

[2hats]

BBC/AP reporting that the Met Police have stated they will still arrest him if he leaves the embassy.

 

[danny la rouge]

So he still faces the skipping bail charge then?

Yup.

Tweet linked to rather than screenshotted because it contains link:

 

[newbie]

the Metropolitan police in London issued a statement confirming a warrant for the arrest of Assange still stands following his failure to surrender to the court on 29 June 2012. It said the service “is obliged to execute the warrant should he leave the embassy”.

It added: “Whilst Mr Assange was wanted on a European arrest warrant (EAW) for an extremely serious offence, the MPS response reflected the serious nature of that crime. Now that the situation has changed and the Swedish authorities have discontinued their investigation into that matter, Mr Assange remains wanted for a much less serious offence. The MPS will provide a level of resourcing which is proportionate to that offence.”

So the threat of extradition is lifted and he can leave Ecuador, plead to skipping bail and get fined a few quid?

 

[Artaxerxes]

So the threat of extradition is lifted and he can leave Ecuador, plead to skipping bail and get fined a few quid?

Probably fall down a few stairs on the way to the cash machine

 

[danny la rouge]

So the threat of extradition is lifted and he can leave Ecuador, plead to skipping bail and get fined a few quid?

Now it's easier for the US to extradite him because they only need to get UK consent, not UK and Sweden.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

BBC/AP reporting that the Met Police have stated they will still arrest him if he leaves the embassy.

Failure to surrender is mitigated with a reasonable cause. That has now been established in so much as the charges have been dropped. CPS won't touch it.

 

[newbie]

Now it's easier for the US to extradite him because they only need to get UK consent, not UK and Sweden.

we can presume the UK courts will roll over, but once his fine is paid he's free to leave the country for somewhere more robust.

 

[Spymaster]

we can presume the UK courts will roll over ...

Why would you presume that?

 

[Wilf]

Whilst he will be delighted that the rape prosecution has gone away, in practice this brings the threat of extradition to the USA centre stage. This says Trump is still keen to get hold of him, even if he probably benefitted from some of the leaks (I haven't really been following how this is playing in America, though weren't there noises from Trump about not proceeding with the case a couple of months ago?):
Swedish prosecutors drop Julian Assange rape investigation
The stand off continues.

 

[Spymaster]

Now it's easier for the US to extradite him because they only need to get UK consent, not UK and Sweden.

More seriously, there's a rape complaint against him that will not now be answered.

 

[Wilf]

Now it's easier for the US to extradite him because they only need to get UK consent, not UK and Sweden.

Yes (that's what I was trying to say in 2240 ).

 

[newbie]

Why would you presume that?

because the terms of the US/UK extradition treaty are quite heavily biased towards the American courts having extraterritorial jurisdiction.

 

[Wilf]

Why would you presume that?

 

[newbie]

no, it's Labour legislation which long predates May,

 

[Wilf]

no, it's Labour legislation which long predates May,

Yes, I know. However I do think the prospect of the UK finding its way in a post-Brexit, Trumpy world increases the chance of the Uk agreeing to a request.

 

[newbie]

Yes, I know. However I do think the prospect of the UK finding its way in a post-Brexit, Trumpy world increases the chance of the Uk agreeing to a request.

I don't doubt the political realities of what you say, but once the request from the yanks has arrived it's an administrative/judicial process isn't it? can politicians intervene? I don't know.

In any event I'd expect Assange to be buying a flight to Quito to leave in the next 24 hours.

 

[bimble]

Poor Pamela Anderson.

 

[MAD-T-REX]

Failure to surrender is mitigated with a reasonable cause. That has now been established in so much as the charges have been dropped. CPS won't touch it.

It will actually be the court's decision. The CPS decide whether to pursue a failure to surrender charge if the defendant doesn't attend the first hearing; after that, it's up to the court.

As for the punishment, the maximum sentence in the magistrates' court is three months and he will get the full whack if convicted.

 

[Wilf]

I don't doubt the political realities of what you say, but once the request from the yanks has arrived it's an administrative/judicial process isn't it? can politicians intervene? I don't know.

In any event I'd expect Assange to be buying a flight to Quito to leave in the next 24 hours.

Jack Straw intervened in the Pinochet case. Also, cases such as Gary McKinnon.