That guy talks like Trump.
QED.
Sorry NP, love ya, but it was bleedin obvious.
In the video of his arrest, he yells out something about the “Trump administration” at 0:27, but I can’t make out what surrounds it.
Can you be more specific?
MSNBC is reporting that the US is charging him with crimes related to his conspiring with Chelsea Manning in computer crimes.
An update from the US Dept of Justice on the charge he faces.
- The extradition request “relates to a federal charge of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion for agreeing to break a password to a classified U.S. government computer.”
- He allegedly helped and encouraged Manning to hack Department of Defense computers. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 5 years.
Also… a Swedish lawyer for one of Assange’s accusers has submitted a request to the Swedish prosecutor’s office to reopen the case there.
This is good news. Very glad to hear it.
Obligatory Monty Python link: Monty Python (Life of Brian)- You're nicked! - YouTube
I suppose he will never have to worry about which shoes to wear to lunch ever again.
What’s the majority feeling here? That he’s getting what he deserves? Did he do anything of use to the public at all? I must admit I’m conflicted. I don’t trust governments at all but I’m not sure I trust Assange either. If it were Snowden arrested I’d be completely on his side. With Assange however … meh.
From the video it appears that he had to be physically dragged from the embassy.
It looks like he hasn’t shaved in quite some time. That makes me wonder if he’s been neglecting his hygiene in general due to mental health issues.
I recall that there were reports regarding keeping his surroundings neat and properly caring for his cat.
My view is that he most definitely is, to quote another poster, “an egotistical prick who had no regard for anything other than his own personal glorification” who is guilty of a wide assortment of actual offenses. It may also be the case that the US has been exaggerating or making up charges as well in order to be able to get their hands on him and make an example of him, but Assange is no hero here. It’s entirely possible for all sides of a conflict to be the bad guys.
Skipping bail when facing serious charges and leaving your friends holding the bag is a dick move, no matter who does it.
The thing about Assange and Wikileaks is that they are pursuing their own agenda. They are not publishing information of public interest in a neutral way.
They actively helped Trump to be elected, and they have been taking Putin’s side on all possible occasions. You’re never going to see information damaging to Trump or Putin being published by Wikileaks.
The charges don’t relate to publishing hacked material (even material hacked by Russian intelligence and passed on to Wikileaks), so there is no problem or precedent created for journalists, or for freedom of speech. The charge of actively engaging in hacking himself is plausible, and I have no problem with it.
Interestingly, the WikiLeaks website is still up and accessible, and still making documents available. It posted new material as recently as January of this year.
In September 2017 it published documents describing Russian cell phone surveillance technology.
I think the guy is a grade-A prick on many fronts, and I think very little of him or his cult of personality supporters who embrace so many frankly stupid conspiracy theories… but I’m not sure what U.S. laws he broke. If the case is as simple as Manning stealing a bunch of documents and giving them to Assange to publish, then I’m not sure if Assange did anything criminal if the matter is just that simple. Did Manning break the law? Oh yeah. Did Assange if he merely published the documents? I don’t really think so…
It could very well be that there is more to the Manning-Assange story that would make me conclude otherwise, so I’m happy to let him sit in jail pending his extradition hearing and let the story develop.
Assange has now been found guilty in the Westminster Magistrates Court of failing to surrender to bail. He pleaded not guilty, and declined to give evidence.
He will have a sentencing hearing on May 2, and faces a sentence of up to 12 months.
Assange hides out for almost seven years to avoid a 12 month prison term?
Homer Simpson: He did it cause he’s stupid. That’s the only reason anybody does anything.
Sorry, it’s the US extradition request that will be heard on May 2. The date of the sentencing hearing for skipping bail is yet to be set.
The charges seem to rest on the fact that Assange actively encouraged the hacking by Manning. From the Guardian live feed linked earlier:
Supposedly he hacked a Pentagon password for Manning. So it’s more than just publishing information.