Sweden renews Assange arrest warrant

Arrest for enemy combatant, not rape, he will only get a time-out for rape in Sweden.

"The investigation is based on claims he didn't use condoms during sex with two Swedish women."

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/sweden-assange-sex-without-condom/#

"The consent of both women to sex with Assange has been confirmed by prosecutors."

http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/12/02/when-it-comes-to-assange-r-pe-case-the-swedes-are-making-it-up-as-they-go-along/

The U.S. has made Sweden its bitch. I thought Swedes had more pride than that.

I heard Assange lit a cigarette once. Nail him for arson!

Did he ever spit out a piece of gum? Get him for littering too!

Maybe he used a public restroom in Sweden? Surely we could nab him for theft if he didn't ask to use the toilet paper before he wiped. Hey, maybe he farted on a bus once...we can add terrorism and chemical warfare against Sweden too!

Seriously, this witch hunt needs to end. Instead of just pulling up make believe charges out of a hat, why don't officials just admit they want him burned at the stake because he embarassed them and hurt their egos? This goofy grasping at straws is embarassing for Sweden. Wake up, Sverige- you're hurting your own reputation far more than Wikileaks ever could. Give up already before you give the world even more material to laugh at!

@amirhosein

Your man in Australia doesn't seem to know much about the Swedish legal system, and obviousl his main claim is wrong.

I'll wait until Assange does the decent thing and comes back to Stockholm, like he promised the authorities he would, and then hear what the prosecution case is rather than picking it up from obviously biased sources in Melbourne writing on blogs.

just a face for the wound that has cut the world deeply

he is innocent and this is bullshite

i have said it before and i will say it again..... screw America they are the real terrorists !!!

Shame on Sweden.

In an Australian paper today:

They (the two women) said they had separate sexual encounters with a thin, white-haired Australian man and despite the sex being consensual, he had refused to wear a condom.

Soon after speaking to police, it is alleged the women - members of a Christian political group that had hosted a speech by Assange - told a Swedish tabloid, Expressen, that the man was Assange.

Yesterday another lawyer who acted for Assange, the Melbourne barrister James Catlin, wrote in Crikey that the women ''collaborated'' and ''irrevocably tainted each other's evidence'' before going to police. ''Their SMS texts to each other show a plan to contact …Expressen beforehand in order to maximise the damage to Assange."

Smells like a set-up. Congrats, Sweden, you've exposed yourself to the world, now. You fooled people into believing you're "neutral" (try looking up Sweden's involvement in Frontex, people. Once you get through the very, very carefully-worded passages, I wonder how many people arrive at the same thought I did - "Mercenary Army"), and now you've blown that.

Shame on you and on your Justice system that stinks.

Swedens' reputation most definately has been tarnished by the Wikileaks episode. It's going to take more than a few pictures of blue-eyed blonde families in the snow before people forget.

my country is starting to stink, :-(

So ... the condom broke.. really? Have you ever tried to break one of those things? Is it really true that it's a crime to have casual sex in Sweden without a condom? What genius came up with this one? How does one monitor this use?

Let's face it he has embarrassed the U.S. by saying in public what they all say in private. What do you think the rest of the world says about the U.S.? Who cares? It's humorous nothing more. Lets for a moment imagine a world wherein elected public officials are required to be transparent in their dealings. What? No more self serving secret agenda's? How ridiculous; how un American. Someone could die... of embarrassment?

This man has dared to stand up to Dick Cheny's America. How dare he! Who does he think he is? A citizen of the free society indeed! He's probably a gay liberal anyway ... and a commie.

Surprising how many hold Assange up to the level of hero for wikis dump of hacked material. What they fail to relize is this breach of documents will be the beginning of the end to internet freedom as we know it, hello heavyhanded government regulation.

I'm not surprised they had to renew it, and renew it and renew it, and the real question is can anyone find their own vagina in Svenskhead land?

And why hasn't Maria Kjellstrand been arrested, or at least suspended, for leaking all that information to tabloids (or confirming it, so she claims?).

Is Wikileaks material hacked? I thought it now relies on whistle-blowers within government departments.

I agree with comments that this has the potential to be really embarrassing for Sweden. Investigative journalists in some other countries are like terriers with rabbits. They're not that easily intimidated into toeing the party line.

According to Assange's British lawyer, the US, UK, Swedish authorities know how to contact Assange.

This is all a conspiracy by Julian Assange to get to stay in Sweden, now that governments are threatening to kill him he can claim asylum in Sweden and get to stay as he originally wanted but was denied and it will be the Swedish taxpayers will have to pick up the bill to protect him and Sweden will never be able to get rid of him

@capt

only if you decide to bow down to it!!!!!!i sure as hell wont and will stand up and fight for my rights and family

so should you!

Well arrest him. It doesn't matter. The cables will keep coming anyway. Arresting him will do nothing to stop the cables.

@planet.sweden

Assange was very collaborative in the beginning to go to the cops and clear his name. Then the silliness started when the the prosecutors couldn't make their mind up about whether he was to be arrested or not. We know for a fact that any sexual intercourse that may have happened was consensual. The two women said that much. Yet, when they got together, they suddenly decided to call him a rapist.

Rape is a serious crime, and accusations of rape are not something to be toyed around with. And it seems to me that the prosecutor of this case (and indeed the entire Swedish legal system) treats accusations of rape as it would treat a petty theft.

It's highly unlikely that Assange escapes unscathed from this. They'll throw everything in the book at him. This will be a show and Sweden will loose face if they can't find charges that stick (however silly or incongruent). His profile is so high that the secret services are probably already be involved in digging up dirt about him.

I don't mean to sound like a conspiracy loon, but it seems to me that this whole affair is about making an exemple of people who dare to stand up to "the man".

I hope they put these two b-itches in jail for false accusation. it does happen now and then and usually ends up with a fine only for the women making the false accusations

Ok first the US had been spying on Swedish population, now US is trying to get to Assange and making Sweden fight US's war, like it always does around the world. Come on Sweden wake up! Assange didn't hack any system he got it from SOURCES. If you want to prosecute him do that! But with a guarantee that his life will not be in danger once the CIA knows where he is exactly!

You call it a country that admires freedom of expression! YEAH RIGHT!

Treason, espionage, aid and comfort to the enemy: take you pick. This guy needs to hang.

I assume Sweden are smart enough to know the consequences of a false prosecurion or even a "mickey mouae" prosecution.

World wide, Sweden's good name name is attached to this prosecution. If unsuccessful and at the end of the day, people will "smell" Sweden has been merely USA compliant, then god help you..

The rest of the world can do little to "sanction" Sweden. Boycott your products yes.

Far worse, Sweden will become social pariah's, merely compliant vassals of the US juggernaut state.

Be careful Sweden, a nation widely respected in Australia for vast integrity.

People are finally becoming wiser to the way that usa work´s! thank you wiki leaks!!!

They are the creator of evil in this world not irak,iran or who ever they decide to make out to be the bad guy......... they are the terrorist with a agenda and if everybody stands up to theses bullies they will fall and when they do fall they will fall hard!

@locaxy he is not accused of rape, but some swedish law that doesn't even exist in most countries and does not even have jail as a penalty, just a 5 000SEK fine. This certainly not something you would put out an international search warrant for, if all governments would do that the whole int. police system will explode in one day.

I am so very ashamed of my country that they lend them selves to participate in the american crimes against people that oppose them for whatever reason. I am also surprised what is happening in the states. The president acts like it is a storm in a teacup but his or his henchmen's actions indicate something else. I do not think that the fairly unsofisticated Swedes would have come up w/ this on their own or are we this devious??? Never thought so but one learns something new every day.

I don't believe there is a conspiracy theory involving the U.S., the CIA, or any other external elements to Sweden. There simply is no evidence at all to support that claim. Correlation is not causation...do they teach that in science classes here?

But, I do agree these charges are ridiculous. I finally got to read the (heavily) redacted police reports these women gave and it was consensual. They even fed him, gave him money for the train, and gave him a place to sleep. This "Sex by surprise" charge that only exists in Sweden is utterly ridiculous. The main girl pursuing this case sounds like a borderline stalker and clearly wanted to have a sexual encounter with the guy. It's things like this that trivialize actual rape cases and victims.

Sweden is scaaaaared, not that they are in dirty business with the states... hehe.

Nice to see what they are affraid to show.

#repat_expat

Well, if your logic is applied, about 30% of pols in the USA would also be dangling - not to mention the bankers!!

Sarah Palin, J.McCain - and a few more like them - do more harm to the USA in 5 lines that ever JA has done in publishing information supplied to him by whistleblowers.

(PS.nice to see that Cheney is to be charged in a bribery case).

It is amazing how many people here can only see conspiracies instead of letting justice take its course in the courts. Sweden is not Russia or Iran. Julian Assange will be fairly and well represented.

There are a few things to note here:

1. Don´t start what you cannot finish.

If Assange knows he will not be able to fight the powers that be, why start in the first place. I am not an American, but if he thinks he is a real man, i want to see leaks from Russia, Isreal, Iran, China, Zimbabwe etc. Lets see what those governments think about others.

2. The US is now doing damage control. Let Assange come to Sweden and clear himself.

An informed public is the basis of a democratic society.

Sweden used to be famous for its human right tradition. It is not the case any longer. It looks more now as a banana republic, where CIA can do whatever they want. Let's hope the guy can find heaven in Switzerland, which is a country where human rights are taken seriously.

Agreed, can't wait for Svenka's dirty laundry to be aired!

@misssh spot on, lad. you have discovered america's evil plans to take over the world...

what will happen ?

Assange will be delivered by Scotland Yard to the swedish police and "sold" to the US and nobody will care, not in Sweden and not in the rest of the world

and forget the status of the good europeans , who loves democracy and human rights

if they come under economical pressure they will selling their souls to the quasidemocracy USA like everybodyelse in the world.

@wakak

''Sweden used to be famous for its human right tradition. It is not the case any longer. It looks more now as a banana republic, where CIA can do whatever they want. Let's hope the guy can find heaven in Switzerland, which is a country where human rights are taken seriously.''

Even after they banned the building of minarets and now just voted to deport foreigners who commit serious crimes? Sweden should then enact the same laws. What do you think of that?

Follow the money.... Does Assange get money from a US Labor union, Goal destable world economic trade, create distrust, build hatred for working partners, Follow the money... Where did Assange get his funding,is he really a dupe, who will make money from this. World crash of economy's who benefits????

After this case I expect every journalist who has reported on this case to be as determined to name, shame and go after other alleged rapists in Sweden from this point.

Also I assume prosecutors will be held to account if they state they do not intend to investiage rape cases.

This case should be looked at as a new start for rape victims in Sweden.

From now on, all rapists and alleged rapists should be hounded to the ends fo the earth.

The commemts of "heroine" kotzen mich an (make me literally puke). The broader question is, according to Simon Chesterman, whether states should have state secrets at all. In order to lay bare things like torture, extraordinary rendition [the secret global abduction of terrorist suspects by the Central Inquisitorial Axis] and unauthorized electronic surveillance, some sort of investigative journalism is required, which is today under threat because of budget cutbacks and the implacable focus of the [essentially profit motivated] media on topics of the day [of interest to the readership of mass circulation newspapers, many of them being of doubtful quality]. - This often happens at the expense of matters that are really newsworthy, asserts Chesterman to the detriment of WikiLeaks, whose approach he characterizes as more quantitative than qualitative; this judgment is, I think, phenomenologically erroneous. "In future many important decisions will be taken on the basis of [closeted] and unrecorded conversations and meetings. Such a self-censorship will lead to poorer decisions and less accountability for decisions already made. These disadvantages are a high price to pay for gossip." [Simon Chesterman: http://www.welt.de/debatte/die-welt-in-worten/article11404348/Wikileaks-wird-die-Welt-nicht-transparenter-machen.html 5 December 2010]

_{Comment removed by The Local for breach of our terms.}

I'm a Canadian whose political leanings have always been towards social democracy as the sanest and most humane form of government.

In Canada, perhaps a quarter of the population supports social democracy as such, but social democratic ideas have percolated down occassionally and benefitted us. For example, here in Quebec, a provincial government introduced the idea of affordable public day care facilities for working parents.

Sweden has for many social democrats in Canada been a model of social democracy. I realise that Swedish social democracy had its limitations, but as a progressive form of human society, it was considered light years ahead of Canada, and Canada is far ahead of the US, where capital punishment is still practiced, where they imprison a greater proportion of their population than any other nation on earth, where there is no guarantee of health insurance,

So I am deeply and terribly disappointed that the Swedish government has agreed to become America's "cat's paw" in order to capture Julian Assange.

I don't believe that this episode will be remembered as a particularly proud moment in Swedish history.

If Scotland Yard, acting on the Interpol warrant, arrests Assange and hands him over to Swedish authorities, and if the Swedish government hands Assange over to the tender mercies of the American government, then Sweden will be remembered as the Judas of transparency and human rights .

I hope that the Swedish government considers very carefully the decisions they are taking. Internationally Wikileaks and Julian Assange are more popular than any of the governments that want to take him down, and we will not forget such a betrayal.

Another Canadian here! I echo and endorse Jack Canuckski's log. My respect for Sweden has been deeply challenged by the mere suggestion that Assange is being processed by the Justice? system. One expects this from the likes of Britain and other G7 nations but not Sweden! Unless there are expectations of damaging diplomatic revelations, there are only two obvious explanations. There is personal or professional gain of course and also the possibility of admission to a larger global network of deception.

I encourage Swedes' of all political persuasions to discourage this absurdly obvious travesty.

I invite Assange to avail himself of any resources I may be able to offer.

Sweden is just working for the Americans, right? Yet one of the leaked cables (BY Mr. ASSANGE!) clearly states that they were NOT happy with the CIA's "Terror-flights."

http://www.thelocal.se/30626/20101205/

-HSII

HowSwedeitis, on the other hand, Sweden was happy to give two men to CIA and they were flown directly to Egypt and tortured there. Anna Lindh approved this so called special rendition.

This whole 'rape' charge is as transparent as the day is long.

So much discussion of a fuzzy 'rape' charge against the messenger, and SO LITTLE about the actual content of the messages he delivers. Sorry, we've seen this movie already.

My favorite rightwing argument: "Wiki's illegal release of (honest) information is getting people killed!!!"

Some of us remember it was dishonest information about imaginary WMD's that fueled a MASSIVE preemptive invasion on a totally innocent people. Bush and his cronies were TORTURING TODDLER'S TESTICLES in an attempt to pry (false) confessions out of Iraqi parents forced to watch the TORTURE. Yoo testified as much in from of Congress. Where was the outrage against sexual abuse victims then? The press couldn't find time to focus on that atrocity because a false narrative involving an honest discussion of whether or not torture was torture (waterboarding) had to take place. The future freedom of the torturers couldn't be compromised by a public who weren't properly schooled in the recently invented nuances between "enhanced interrogation" and torture.

On balance, there's precious little reporting on the MASSIVE CARNAGE being inflicted on TOTALLY INNOCENT civilians by our ongoing industrial slaughter machine.

Let's all pretend that there is nothing strange about the UNPRECEDENTED OVER-HYPE by police and international authorities in regard to these charges. Let's pretend we don't know that the women only came forward a week after the fact, and then, only because they happened to meet, resulting in a kiss and tell session with epic consequences.

We have real, honest-to-God, SELF-admitted war criminals running around free in our country and the press is more interested in the prosecution of a middle aged yuppie with a caddish regard for women?

Enjoy.