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Julian Assange Spy Charge Update

Charl de Souza

February 27^th 2012

Julian Assange, the Wikileaks founder is still waiting for the outcome of his appeals hearing against extradition to Sweden. His argument is that the European Arrest Warrant is "invalid and unenforceable". His lawyers told the Supreme Court judges that the Swedish prosecutor who issued the arrest warrant did not have the authority to do so.

Assange is wanted by the Swedish authorities for questioning over alleged sex offences. He is accused of raping one woman in Stockholm and sexually molesting and coercing another in Enkoping, a town west of Stockholm, in August 2010. Assange denies the charges, claiming the allegations against him are politically motivated. Both women concerned bragged in SMS messages to friends about having sex with Assange after the alleged “rapes” and “molestations.”

The 40-year-old Australian, remains on conditional bail in the UK.

The Swedish prosecutors could conduct the necessary interviews without Assange being extradited using telephone, by video-link or in person at an embassy.

Dinah Rose QC, Julian Assange’s lawyer, said it was “A matter of fundamental legal principle that the person issuing such a warrant was both impartial and independent of the parties in the case.”

Ms Rose continued saying that the Swedish prosecutor was a party in the Assange case and therefore was not either of these things. “Since the Swedish prosecutor cannot fulfil those conditions, she is not a judicial authority and not capable of issuing a warrant for the purposes of the 2003 Act.”

Dinah Rose QC added that the Swedish prosecutor was breaching the principle that “no-one may be a judge in their own cause.”

Julian Assange the Wikileaks founder might not be paranoid after all. It appears he has good reason to fight a Swedish extradition request. Sweden has cooperated with the United States to send suspects to be tortured in the extraordinary rendition program in the past. Why should they make an exception for Julian Assange?

Julian Assange is presently in Britain on bail pending an appeal against the Swedish extradition request, where he faces questionable rape allegations. He has been busy in Britain for the last 18 months, fighting, the extradition.

He says if he is extradited to Sweden, then the Swedish Authorities will send him to stand trial in the United States. He believes he will not receive a fair trial in Sweden, and especially not in the United States.

Assange could face spy charges after prosecutors claimed he coached the U.S. Army whistleblower Bradley Manning on how to break military passwords on his computer.

Prosecutors said that during online chats between Manning and Nathanial Frank, who the prosecutors claim is one of Assange’s online aliases, Manning was coached in real-time to break military passwords in order to get into military computer data networks. The prosecution claims that Julian Assange was active in stealing United States military documents.

These logs of online chats were recovered from Manning’s personal Macintosh laptop.

Julian Assange has denied having any direct contact with Bradley Manning, but Assange’s lawyers, one of whom was in the courtroom at Fort Meade, believe that the evidence presented by the prosecution in Bradley Manning’s trial is sufficient to make an espionage conspiracy case against Assange.

Lt. Col. Paul Almanza The presiding officer in Bradley Manning’s trial will recommend whether Manning should stand trial for the 22 charges against him on January 16^th 2012.

Julian Assange Wikileaks founder is not paranoid after all. He has good reason to fight a Swedish extradition request or get shipped to USA.

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