Please see Sweden vs Assange for up to the minute coverage. See also http://rixstep.com/jawl for more history and background on the case.
Original prepared by DeLorean https://www.flashback.org/sp25460511
People and web addresses:
JA - Julian Assange. Founder of WikiLeaks http://wikileaks.org
AA - One of the women accusing JA. Spokeswoman for "Broderskapsrörelsen" ("The Brotherhood Movement" which is the Christian wing of the Social Democratic Party) AA's cousin Mattias is Lt Colonel with the Swedish peace keeping forces in Afghanistan. http://ardin.se http://www.socialdemokraterna.se/broderskap
SW - The second woman accusing JA. Lives in the town of Enköping, 50 miles north west of Stockholm. Since all police reports about her are classified, the identity of this woman has not been 100% verified.
MHK - Maria Häljebo Kjellstrand, duty prosecutor in Stockholm City. Her husband works as a legal expert to Minister of Justice Beatrice Ask.
EF - Eva Finné, Chief Prosecutor.
CB - Claes Borgström. Legal representative of AA och SW.
LS - Leif Silbersky. Legal representative of JA until Sep 7.
BH - Björn Hurtig. Legal representative of JA from Sep 7.
MN - Marianne Ny. Head of the Public Prosecutor's Office; Development Unit in Gothenburg. Handles the appeal from CB.
Prosecutors office: http://www.aklagare.se (some statements regarding JA are in English).
Background:
JA is on a longer stay in Sweden for various reasons. Among other things, he will speak at a "Brotherhood" seminar. AA handles JAs invitation and is in contact with JA before the visit. It is generally believed that JA spends his first nights in AAs apartment in Stockholm. (Fri, Aug 13 - Mon, Aug 16?). Probably even Wed night, Aug 17 - Friday, Aug 19. AA is probably working outside of Stockholm some of these days.
Friday Aug 13:
During this night (or maybe during the night between Saturday and Sunday), the incident that makes AA report JA to the police, occurs.
Saturday, Aug 14:
- JA delivers his speech at the Brotherhood seminar. SW acts as a photographer during the seminar although it seems as she has not been invited as a photographer. SW manages to get invited to the lunch (with JA) held after the seminar.
- JA och SW hang out in the afternoon.
- Crayfish party in the home of AA in the evening. Participants:
AA
JA
Possibly: Pirate Party member 1 (The Pirate Party is a small, Swedish Political Party).
Possibly: Pirate Party member 2
Possibly journalist 1
Possibly journalist 2
Perhaps a few more people.
Monday, Aug 16:
JA travels by train with SW to Enköping and stays the night in her home. During the night or in the morning, the incident that makes SW report JA to the police, occurs.
Wednesday, Aug 18:
AA and SW - who have not met before according to their own statements - get in touch during the day (or maybe during Thu, Aug 19). Then the following happens:
Friday, Aug 20:
- During the afternoon (possibly around 2 p.m.) AA and SW enter the Klara Police Station in central Stockholm to discuss some things they say they have experienced while being with JA.
- The police officer handling the case creates one report concerning rape involving SW and one concerning molestation (which is not necessarily a sexually related crime in Sweden) involving AA..
- Rumours say that AA claims that JA intentionally broke a condom. (Later, JA denies this while being interrogated by the police).
- MHK decides to arrest JA in his absence for one count of rape and one count of sexual molestation.
- Within hours, someone leaks information about MHKs decision (including JAs name) to tabloid "Expressen".
- Against good practice, MHK confirms the story when a reporter from Expressen calls her. Her excuse seems to be that she got the impression that Expressen already knew all the details, and thus, she might just as well confirm(!).
- Within 24 hours, the story is in the media all over the world.
- The soruce/leak is still unidentified.
- Perhaps SW takes a test for some diseases.
Saturday, Aug 21:
- Chief prosecutor EF cancels the arrest warrant for JA. Says EF: "I do not believe that there is any reason so suspect him of rape". The report on molestation remains, but it is now unclear whether it is considered sexual or not.
- http://www.aklagare.se/Media/Nyheter...-sin-franvaro/
Tuesday, Aug 24:
- Attorney Claes Borgström (CB) is suggested as legal representative of AA and SW.
- Attorney Leif Silbersky (LS) is suggested as legal representative of JA.
- At http://rebellabloggen.wordpress.com/2010/08/24/Wikileakshjaltar-kan-ocksa-gora-puckade-saker/ (a blog for young feminists from the social democratic party) blogger Sara Gunnerud publishes what seems to be AAs version of what happened. It gives the impression that JA has had unsafe sex against AAs will. And that AA and SW went to the police to find out if it possible to force JA to take a test för sexually transferred diseases (STD). Sara Gunnerud also gives a negative description of JAs attitude towards women. But she gives praise to WikiLeaks.
Wendesday, Aug 25:
- EF issues a statement where she announces that a preliminary investigation concerning one count of molestation (the word "sexual" is not mentioned) will be opened.
- As to the rape charges, EF says that she does not question the information delivered by SW, but that this information is such that there is no suspicion of rape at hand. Link: http://www.aklagare.se/Media/Nyheter/Beslut-i-Assangearendet-onsdag/
- In conversation with LS, JA says that he is completely innocent both from a legal point of view and from a moral one. He also adds that he has already suffered "enormous damage" from what has occurred.
Friday, Aug 27:
- Just before Swedish authorities close their offices for the weekend, CB delivers an appeal of EFs decision. CB now requests that JA be charged with two counts of rape, one against AA and one against SW.
Sunday, Aug 29 - Tuesday, Aug 31:
- According to Swedish newspaper Resumé, the first hint to tabloid Expressen came by SMS from a source which is yet to be identified. The SMS was delivered to free lance photographer Stefan Söderström who was at the governmental residence of Harpsund for a gathering with the Swedish government. Also at Harpsund was political journalist Niklas Svensson who works for Expressen. Svensson informs Expressen reporter Diamant Salihu, who digs up more information by contacting at least one other source. Then he calls duty prosecutor MHK who, inexplicably, confirms the fact that JA is arrested in his absence.
- According to a stubborn rumour from several sources, the incident between SW and JA should be that they had unsafe sex. It is not known whether, or in which way, safe sex had been agreed upon between the parties.
Monday, Aug 30:
-JA is interrogated about the molestation charge against AA (but not about the rape charges). The charge seems to be that JA deliberately made a hole in a condom. JA denies doing so. Expressen publishes parts of the interrogation: http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/1.2118961/har-ar-forhoret-med-assange-ord-for-ord
Wednesday, Sep 1:
- The case has now been handed over to the Public Prosecutor's Office's "Development Unit" in Gothenburg, where the head of the department, Chief Prescutor Marianne Ny (MN) decides to reopen the preliminary investigation of one count of rape (against SW) and that the preliminary investigation of one count of molestation (against AA) is to be reopened and expanded to include "all events" in the police report.
http://www.aklagare.se/media/nyheter/overprovningsbeslut-i-assangearendet/
Friday, Sep 3:
- SW is interrogated a second time about the alleged rape.
- MN and her assistant prosecutor go through all existing material
Monday, Sep 6:
- JA requests that his legal representative LS be replaced by attorney Björn Hurtig (BH).
Tusesday, Sep 7:
- JA is granted the switch from LS to BH.
Saturday, Sep 11:
In an interview in the legal newspaper "Dagens Juridik" (a low profile newspaper for the legal community), BH says that his client has received a very unfair treatment from the authorities and that he will surely demand compensation from the state. http://www.dagensjuridik.se/2010/09/hurtig-assange-kommer-vilja-krava-kompensation-av-staten
The Pirate Party provide bandwidth and hosting free of charge.
http://rixstep.com/1/20100817,00.shtml
Julian Assange charged with rape, then charges suddenly dropped.
http://rixstep.com/1/20100821,00.shtml
Further developments.
http://rixstep.com/1/20100822,00.shtml
The person behind the police complaint identified.
http://rixstep.com/1/20100823,00.shtml
Sweden's most famous lawyer speaks out.
http://rixstep.com/1/20100824,00.shtml
The case gets murkier and dirtier by the day.
http://rixstep.com/2/1/20100824,00.shtml
Violated secrecy laws in revealing details to the media.
http://rixstep.com/1/20100824,01.shtml
This is when things start to get dirty.
http://rixstep.com/1/20100825,00.shtml
Pause for the cause. A look at the media hysteria surrounding the Assange affair.
http://rixstep.com/2/1/20100829,00.shtml
After giving their solemn promise. US military blog smells rat in second woman's story.
http://rixstep.com/1/20100902,00.shtml
The luck of Langley? You couldn't make this up.
http://rixstep.com/2/1/20100905,00.shtml
Stay on track. Don't be naïve. And don't be silent.
http://rixstep.com/2/1/20100905,01.shtml
The media in Sweden are trying to convince their sheeple that everything's OK and the staggeringly arrogant Lena Sundström is going to teach them how. 'What to think about the Assange case? Try to not think about it!'
http://rixstep.com/1/1/20100906,00.shtml
Now it's up to fashionable hyper-expensive television star Björn Hurtig. Can he be proactive? Can any Swedish solicitor?
http://rixstep.com/1/20100907,00.shtml
People truly have a lot to fear.
http://rixstep.com/1/20100908,00.shtml
Swedish police IAD file complaint against their own.
http://rixstep.com/1/20100908,01.shtml
Don't fundamental civil rights apply? By SvD's Carin Stenström.
http://rixstep.com/2/1/20100909,00.shtml
Authorities sound the alarm after 'steal' of confidential Assange case dossier but Aftonbladet's editor in chief insists all is above board. Too many things are leaking in praiseworthy Stockholm.
http://rixstep.com/1/20100910,00.shtml
A timeline including excerpts of case testimony. The Stockholm sleaze rag somehow got a copy of the actual case dossier. They claim it was legal; the authorities aren't convinced.
http://rixstep.com/1/20100914,00.shtml
Sweden in violation of European civil rights. The world-famous solicitor calls for diplomatic 'carpet bombing' of Swedish authorities.
http://rixstep.com/1/20100914,01.shtml
The famous author on Sweden's crazy treatment of rape accusations. From 23 August.
http://rixstep.com/1/1/20100916,00.shtml
Israel Shamir and Paul Bennett level off on the lot.
http://rixstep.com/1/20100917,01.shtml
Meet Sweden's prosecutor general. Force yourself.
http://rixstep.com/1/20100917,00.shtml
Something's happened in the Assange case? Actually nothing happened but it took nearly a month for the Swedes to admit it.
http://rixstep.com/1/20100918,00.shtml
Saving face and saving careers in Sweden's public offices.
http://rixstep.com/2/1/20100919,01.shtml
Peering down a rabbit hole.
http://rixstep.com/2/1/20100919,00.shtml
Welcome to the feast. Fill up.
http://rixstep.com/1/20100922,00.shtml
The one thing you may never take it at.
http://rixstep.com/2/1/20100925,00.shtml
Dissension in the ranks?
http://rixstep.com/1/20100925,00.shtml
On the second part of the Der Spiegel interview. All things considered, and taking new revelations in the German media into account, it looks like Herr Domscheit might have been a plant. He certainly did all he could to stop the release of the Iraq War Logs. And when found out and questioned, ran straight into the arms of the enemy.
http://rixstep.com/1/20100927,00.shtml
News in the ongoing case now into its 41st day.
http://rixstep.com/1/20100929,00.shtml
Anna Ardin's goose is cooked. She's consequently planning on leaving the country for three months.
http://rixstep.com/2/1/20101001,01.shtml
Sensational news: extraordinary Internet detective work by Göran Rudling. Anna Ardin trying to wipe her tracks and caught in a trap. From 30 September 2010.
http://rixstep.com/1/20101001,01.shtml
'Meet me in Stockholm baby so we can mess around.'
http://rixstep.com/1/20101005,00.shtml
What Julian Assange has been up against. 'Citizen X' is one of Sweden's best bloggers and news researchers. He recently covered the 'sex torture' case. The story gives insight into how Sweden has changed and what visitors like Julian Assange are up against when crossing the border.
http://radsoft.net/rants/20101008,00.shtml
So claims Stefan Lindgren who was to meet Julian that week in Stockholm. And it turned out to be three (3) stolen laptops: Julian flew from Stockholm to Berlin, was the only passenger to check in luggage, and of course the case was gone on arrival.
http://rixstep.com/1/20101014,00.shtml
Another centre of gravity? Didn't work too good. Oh well.
http://rixstep.com/1/20101014,01.shtml
How a Swedish tabloid journalist got the Assange story and how he ran with it. A startling look at the yesterday media and the way tabloid journalists work.
http://rixstep.com/2/1/20101018,00.shtml
Graduate cum laude from the Kay Burley School of Journalism. This clip is being blocked in the US; Rixstep have the entire clip for download; ask in the forum for a copy.
http://rixstep.com/1/1/0/20101023,00.shtml
Julian Assange once wanted to collaborate with the editor in chief of the Stockholm tabloid Aftonbladet.
http://rixstep.com/1/1/20101024,00.shtml
What would Auric Goldfinger say? What would the CIA say? A look at a few remarkable things about Sweden's prosecution authority.
http://rixstep.com/1/20101104,00.shtml
Transcript of the CIA refusal to reveal plans to assassinate Julian Assange under the FOIA.
http://rixstep.com/1/20101105,00.shtml
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will be summoned to Stockholm for further interrogations in the next few days. If he doesn't turn up, he'll be sought internationally, according to informed sources. Not because he is guilty of rape - if he was, then half of Sweden's male population would be behind bars - but because he's to be destroyed.
http://rixstep.com/2/1/20101108,00.shtml
Here are some English language articles covering the rape allegations made against Julian Assange in Sweden in August 2010. In a legal case that can only be described as a quagmire, (if not Kafkaesque), the media's coverage of it has accordingly been confused and confusing in equal measure. Not surprisingly, the most coherent and least sensationalist analysis has come from bloggers rather than MSM reporters.
David Leigh of The Guardian on August 22: "Allegation apparently leaked to press by police" http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/aug/22/WikiLeaks-julian-assange-sweden
Scott Horton of Harper's Magazine on August 23 correctly advised that those following the story should accept nothing at face value.
http://harpers.org/archive/2010/08/hbc-90007522
Angella Johnson of the Daily Mail on August 29, with the first story to feature interviews with the two women making the allegations against Assange.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1307137/Supporters-dis...
Guy Rundle of Crikey provides a lucid take on the quagmire on September 9, reporting that Birgitta Jónsdóttir's comments about Assange's character were misrepresented in a particularly slanderous Daily Beast article.
http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/09/09/rundle-WikiLeaks-i-havent-seen-accus...
Kelley Vlahos of Antiwar.com provides further media criticism, with links to reasoned analysis from James Fallows at Atlantic, blogger Fabius Maximus, and anti-WikiLeaks maniacs such as Jonah Goldberg:
http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2010/09/02/fallows-others-taking-another-loo...
At this point a discerning reader may notice a common caveat running through many blog posts on the subject of Assange's rape allegations: Try not to believe anything for now, for there is no objective reality.
Then of course we have some examples of yellow journalism, 2.0.
Step 1: Facebook-stalk Julian Assange's son Daniel;
Step 2: Use content from his FB page without permission;
Step 3. Publish his comments as bona fide source material
Guess who? News Limited - "We Report, You Swallow".
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/my_wiki_dad_just_awful_with_t...
Read Daniel Assange's wry rebuttal and corrections here:
http://www.lemma.org/?p=192
Undeterred by the fact that such an article had appeared in the sleazy NY Post, Fairfax journos chirped their own excerpts from the same non-story. In this case, Asher Moses of the Sydney Morning Herald (who should know better, as the ACMA blacklist WikiLeaks released provided him with lots of bread & butter for many months) published the same poison here:
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/WikiLeaks-sex-scandal-d...
STOCKHOLM (Rixstep) — Julian Assange is to be arrested in absentia, for questioning, despite repeated attempts by Assange to meet with Marianne Ny who has categorically refused to negotiate any other way.
http://rixstep.com/1/20101118,01.shtml
STOCKHOLM (Rixstep) — Julian Assange will appeal the bizarre arrest order proposed by invisible prosecutor Marianne Ny yesterday through more visible proxies at the district court in Stockholm.
http://rixstep.com/1/20101118,02.shtml
STOCKHOLM (Rixstep) — The long stone-turning gestation period is over. Elusive Swedish prosecutor Marianne Ny now says she wants to meet with Julian Assange to discuss rape charges and she's willing to get an international arrest order to do it.
'That's a bit thin', says solicitor Björn Hurtig.
http://rixstep.com/1/20101118,00.shtml
Thursday November 18, 2010
STAFF EDITORIAL (via @wikileaks)
In October 2010 Julian Assange won the Sam Adams Award for Integrity. He has also been awarded the 2009 Amnesty International Media Award and the Economist Index on Censorship Award in 2008. It is important to remember that accolades such as these do come without tremendous hard work.
The expose of the Afghan War Diaries was a moment of media history, orchestrated by Julian Assange. He brought together The New York Times, The Guardian and Der Spiegel, three of the world’s most reputable newspapers to collaborate with WikiLeaks on exposing more than 90 000 secret significant action reports by the United States relating to the war in Afghanistan. This involved a huge amount of administration in order to co-ordinate all four media partners’ publishing schedules and a lot of time to carefully construct the levels of trust needed to bring together three major newspapers who were also competitors.
Since 2007 Julian, WikiLeaks and the Sunshine Press have been behind international front page stories that have changed the world. However, every story exposing abuses by powerful organizations, whether they be from New York or Nairobi results in a counter attack. Such the importance and veracity of revelations must be defended. Immediately after the Afghan War Diaries he conducted seventy-six interviews in three days maximizing the impact of the disclosures. It is very important for WikiLeaks to create a global platform with which to reach all corners of the earth. This demonstrates to those who wish to expose wrongdoing and misconduct that there is a way to do so without putting themselves at risk. He remains a messenger who big governments and their agencies can, and constantly do, attack while all the time keeping the source of the information published safe.
Because of the nature of the work performed by WikiLeaks both the organization and Julian Assange are constantly under attack. Their servers are under attack. Their security is under attack and their work resources and finances are under attack. This results is a lot of time-consuming administration and means working through a lot of bureaucratic steps to re-establish the efficient running of an organisation. When finances are frozen, as was the case with Money Brokers Limited in August this year (the WikiLeaks account was closed because of "watchlisting" by the US after publication of the Afghanistan documents) it resulted in many letters back and forth, instructing a legal team to administer the situation and still to date there has been no resolution. In just the last 14 days he has met with more than 9 lawyers (excluding Swedish lawyers) in in defense of WikiLeaks’ publishing activities, agreements and sources. Similarly, Julian Assange is subject to these sorts of attacks on a personal level.
He and WikiLeaks both have been attacked in the media by Leon Panetta, Director of the CIA, Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and highest ranking officer in the US and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates not to mention the well recognized media personalities such as Marc A. Thiessen, a former bush administration chief speech writer and currently a Washington Post columnist who wrote “Assange is a non-U.S. citizen operating outside the territory of the United States. This means the government has a wide range of options for dealing with him.” Christian Whiton, a Fox News contributor, said “WikiLeaks should be declared 'enemy combatants',” indicating they should be dealt with outside the law and Jonah Goldberg, a conservative syndicated columnist asked “why wasn’t Julian Assange garroted in his hotel room years ago?”
Attacks such as these create an extreme need for security and he must always be conscious and personally vigilant – a task that is both time consuming and mentally exhausting. The major government players such as the CIA and the Pentagon do not stop at just Julian but also target many WikiLeaks volunteers or associates. Two volunteers and an American WikiLeaks spokesperson have been detained and questioned in the United States along with other individuals alleged to be participant to his publishing activities such as Bradley Manning, an alleged source who is being held as a political prisoner in the United States. Mr Manning's mother's house in Wales was raided by the FBI together with local police earlier this year.
The result is a constant need for legal and political support and managing this from afar and throughout many continents is no small task. Furthermore Julian Assange does not take these matters lightly having been privy to bad experiences in the past – while working on the extra judicial assassinations taking place in Kenya, two WikiLeaks’ affiliates being assassinated.
Since the false allegations made about him in Sweden this August Julian has also needed to work extremely hard at ensuring the smear campaign launched against him has not affected the WikiLeaks brand. Making many public appearances and conducting interviews is absolutely necessary not to mention maintaining relationships with media partners who are so easily affected by such events.
In spite of the attacks against him, Wikileaks successfully released the Iraq War Logs in late October – a cache of over 400 000 US military intelligence reports relating to the war in Iraq. Due to the false allegations mentioned above the management of this leak was extremely difficult. However, he successfully made new lasting relationships and expanded the media partners to include Al Jazeera, Le Monde, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, SVT and also brought in Public Interest Lawyers and NGOs such as Iraq Body Count. The documents’ release was increased to television as well as print media with two full-length documentaries being commissioned.
Julian Assange also readily offers to speak at many public events; especially those he feels will have a resonating effect on people’s rights and liberties, ideals he holds close to his heart. Recently he presented at the United Nations Universal Periodic Review against the United States in Geneva where he offered up evidence from the Iraq War logs of the human right abuses such as the 109 000 deaths, 185 000 casualties, 66 000 civilian deaths and countless cases of torture conducted by America. The speech he gave lasted over two hours alone and the preparation for such an event is mammoth. During his stay in Geneva the Swiss government was so fearful for his personal security that they offered two International Police and two Swiss Police as his bodyguards for the duration, yet another indication of the severity of the danger he encounters on a daily basis. In late September he spoke in London for Index on Censorship regarding Security and censorship in the age of WikiLeaks.
In the coming months Julian Assange aims to carry on the invaluable work and service that WikiLeaks offers the public. In due course he intends on providing information, as yet publically unknown. He has stifled many illegal attacks and remains victorious on all legal attacks against WikiLeaks.
Original source: http://www.twitlonger.com/show/71lm5i
For international consumption and amusement. Perhaps only the first of perhaps many. There are many lolz in what use to be such a great country.
http://rixstep.com/1/20101119,00.shtml
STOCKHOLM (Rixstep) — Swedish national television SVT sent reporters to the Stockholm district court and to Isengard to follow the events and interview Marianne Ny. This resulted in a two minute two second spot on the evening news. The link is below. In the interests of truth, justice, and liberty, a full transcript is provided in case the clip suddenly disappears.
Watch (read) towards the end how Saruman Ny does a two-step past the crucial question. The stench is overwhelming.
http://rixstep.com/1/20101119,02.shtml
Malin Otterström won't be apologising to Anna Ardin.
http://rixstep.com/1/20101119,01.shtml
London-based lawyer Mark Stephens spoke with The Guardian:
"Comparing the Swedish prosecutor to Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria, Stalin's notorious security chief, Mark Stephens said "neither Mr Assange nor his lawyers have been provided any further information beyond that reported in the press."
He continued: "This appears to be a persecution and a prosecution. It is highly irregular and unusual for the Swedish authorities to issue a red notice in the teeth of the undisputed fact that Mr Assange has agreed to meet voluntarily to answer the prosecutor's questions. Mr Assange has repeatedly sought meetings with the prosecutrix – both in Sweden and subsequently – in order to answer her questions and clear his name. It is relevant that Mr Assange sought permission from the prosecutrix to leave Sweden and she gave him her permission. Since leaving Sweden Mr Assange has continued to seek meetings with the prosecutrix, but his requests have either been ignored or met with a refusal."
He added: "At this point in time, we have no evidence pointing to a link between these allegations from August and the issue of the Interpol alert just two days after the WikiLeaks first release of US diplomatic cables. However, it is highly unusual for a red notice warrant to be issued in relation to the allegations reported as having been made, since Swedish law does not require custodial orders in relation to the allegation – indeed to our knowledge this is a unique action by the Swedish prosecuting authorities in applying for a red notice on the basis of these allegations.
"We are also investigating whether the prosecutor's application to have Mr Assange held incommunicado without access to lawyers, visitors or other prisoners – again a unique request – is in any way linked to this matter and the recent, rather bellicose US statements of an intention to prosecute Mr Assange."
The Guardian also refers to Stephens's statements to The Times arguing that the arrest warrant issued was invalid:
"The arrest warrant has been issued in circumstances where Assange has an outstanding appeal in Sweden," Stephens said in the Times, while a police source was quoted as saying Assange's warrant was "not a properly certified warrant so we can't act on it."
Stephens argued that although Assange was originally wanted on a charge of rape, this had been thrown out after a partially successful appeal and which meant that Swedish law did not allow for another arrest warrant for current allegations.
He said British police had probably not taken any action against Assange because the warrant was issued incorrectly rather than because they didn't know where he was.
"The sole ground for the warrant is the prosecutor's blatantly false allegation that he is on the run from justice: he left Sweden lawfully and has offered himself for questioning. An appeal against this decision was filed on Monday and is pending," Stephens said.
Separately, Melbourne barrister James D. Catlin wrote in Crikey:
"Apparently having consensual s-x in Sweden without a condom is punishable by a term of imprisonment of a minimum of two years for r-pe. That is the basis for a reinstitution of r-pe charges against WikiLeaks figurehead Julian Assange that is destined to make Sweden and its justice system the laughing stock of the world and dramatically damage its reputation as a model of modernity.[...]
That further evidence hasn’t been confected to make the charges less absurd does Sweden no credit because it has no choice in the matter. The phenomena of social networking through the internet and mobile phones constrains Swedish authorities from augmenting the evidence against Assange because it would look even less credible in the face of tweets by Anna Ardin and SMS texts by Sofia Wilén boasting of their respective conquests after the “crimes”.
In the case of Ardin it is clear that she has thrown a party in Assange’s honour at her flat after the “crime” and tweeted to her followers that she is with the “the world’s coolest smartest people, it’s amazing!”. Go on the internet and see for yourself. That Ardin has sought unsuccessfully to delete these exculpatory tweets from the public record should be a matter of grave concern. That she has published on the internet a guide on how to get revenge on cheating boyfriends ever graver. The exact content of Wilén’s mobile phone texts is not yet known but their bragging and exculpatory character has been confirmed by Swedish prosecutors. Niether Wilén’s nor Ardin’s texts complain of r-pe.
But then neither Ardin nor Wilén complained to the police but rather “sought advice”, a technique in Sweden enabling citizens to avoid just punishment for making false complaints. They sought advice together, having collaborated and irrevocably tainted each other’s evidence beforehand. Their SMS texts to each other show a plan to contact the Swedish newspaper Expressen beforehand in order to maximise the damage to Assange. They belong to the same political group and attended a public lecture given by Assange and organised by them. You can see Wilén on the YouTube video of the event even now.[...]
A great deal more damning evidence is yet to be revealed about what passes for legal process in Sweden, such as Assange’s lawyers having not received a single official document until November 18, 2010 (and then in Swedish language contrary to European Law) and having to learn about the status of investigations through prosecution media announcements but make no mistake: it is not Julian Assange that is on trial here but Sweden and its reputation as a modern and model country with rules of law."
An appeal against the arrest warrant was filed on Monday on behalf of Julian Assange with the Sweden Supreme Court, which we covered here. Our full Sweden case coverage section can be found here.