Julian Assange in custody. At least Swifter let him keep his cup of cocoa.
Well, that’s that. Julian Paul Assange, the world’s favorite Bond Villain, is headed off on an all-expenses-but-the-one-that-counts-paid trip to Sweden, courtesy of the UK court system, which ruled today that there is no human rights violation in Sweden’s choice to prosecute Assange and, further, none in their decision to do so in a private trial. You can read the whole thing below:
and download it directly from the court site, and, for the very BEST live coverage, you should have been watching Ravi Somaiya’s live twitter stream from the trial itself. Plus this:
And yes, “Sextradited” as a term will TOTALLY happen. I just wish I could remember who coined it.
UPDATE: it was AlphaKat on Gawker.
UPDATED UPDATE: And here is Assange’s statement from outside the courthouse, where he’s again free on bail:
Belmarsh was a rubber stamping process. It comes as no surprise but is nevertheless wrong. It comes as the result of a European arrest warrant system amok.
There was no consideration of the allegations made against me. No consideration of the complaints against me in Sweden.
We have always known we would appeal. We have always known in all likelihood we would have to appeal. Ninety five percent of all European arrest warrants are successful […]
[…] What does the United States have to do with a Swedish Extradition process?
It has been falsely stated that I said the CIA or Pentagon was involved in the initial allegation. I have never said that. I have never said who was behind those allegations, simply that they were untrue.
Why is it that I am subject – a non-profit free speech activist – that I am subject to a £200,000 bail, that I am subject to house arrest when I have never been charged in any country.
The scrutiny of the European arrest warrant system needs to begin now, it cannot be the case that filling two pages with someone’s name and a suspicion – not a charge – can lead to their extradition to one of 26 European nations.
Three people a day are being extradited from the UK under a rubber stamp process.
raincoaster 
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#Assange has become a political prisoner and so is exempt from justice.
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That’s very well-put, Archie!
This unfortunately, is how the British justice system operates – wait until the world is preoccupied with the latest disaster/atrocities – and bury the hapless victim.
Hey, some of us remember David Kelly!
But ask anyone in the UK if they do…. unless they are journalists or family, I fear you will hear a deafening silence….
Assange wouldn’t have taken refuge in the UK if he and his supporters had believed that, though. I’ve said all along that Cameron was a wild card in this; if he wanted to differentiate himself from Blair and Brown, all he had to do was turn down an extradition request from the US, publically.
I’m afraid all our politicians except possibly Brown were (and are) in politics for their own nasty mercenary needs, if Assange believed otherwise he was misled by his advisors.
Yes, but what I’m saying is that appearing strong vs the US might serve Cameron’s needs. Nobody would pretend a former PR were anything other than self-interested.
You’re right, but there aren’t many of Cameron’s needs I want to see served, oxygen, water etc.
The mere fact that Julian was arrested without even one charge existing was reason enough to never again rely on the justice department being just. All this does is demoralize the world. The Western so-called civilized World. It proves WikiLeaks’ points over and over again.
If this is an attempt to silence or annoy him, they’re in for something much larger than just the one guy founding that website accepting anonymous leaks. I guess Judge Riddle wants to have that on his hands.
gitwizard, I like the way you think. Although I’m not completely sure Cameron’s not an android and thus does not need oxygen. It’s common in PRs.
Julius, I don’t understand why he couldn’t be questioned by the Swedes while he was still in the UK. Did he have the opportunity and refuse it? Extradition and hearings are an expensive business for governments.
I, personally, advocate a trial, speedily. Wikileaks etc can’t get beyond this while it continues to drag on. Face the charges, move on. If Assange gets convicted, well martyrs make excellent fundraising devices; if he is freed, well, near-martyrs make almost as good fundraisers.
I feel sorry for stupid remarks I make on the internet.
Don’t we all?
Not me. Since I don’t have internet at home anymore, I make all my comments stone-cold sober. Some of my more aggressive readers are beginning to complain.
You don’t have internet at home anymore?
I wish I could lose my addiction.
I wish I could afford to feed mine better.