Assange reveals GCHQ messages discussing Swedish extradition

[jeff47]

5. Swedish law is not US law.

The US/UK legal system and the Swedish legal system do things differently.

Then the Swedish authorities should have no trouble interviewing him in the embassy, or guaranteeing him that he won't be extradited.

The "interview" you speak of is not an "interview" in the US/UK legal sense. It's the equivalent of getting a statement from a suspect immediately after his arrest. Or so says the courts in the UK.

So it's not "let's sit down and see what he has to say". It's "we're ready to arrest, but we talk to the suspect before putting the cuffs on."

As for a blanket no extradition, that's not exactly reasonable. The Swedish authorities have no idea if Assange is going to commit a crime while in Sweden that would normally cause extradition. I don't think Assange will, but the Swedish authorities can't assume he's a nice guy....after all, they are putting him on trial.

That's why there is the suggestion of a conspiracy: because there is no reasonable explanation for why they reject all compromise.

Only because those demanding compromise really don't understand much of the legal system beyond TV. There's the above-mentioned misunderstanding about what stage the case is in Sweden.

Then there's the problem that Assange hasn't broken any US laws, and is in fact protected by the first amendment. Manning can only be charged with a crime because he waived his first amendment rights regarding classified information in order to get his security clearance. Assange has not waived his rights.

Think of it this way: If the reporters for the New York Times couldn't be put in prison for the Pentagon Papers, neither can Assange.

And we'll now move on to the "US will come up with something to get him!!" stage of the discussion.....