Not Above the Law

Although Julian Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy for the past two years, the WikiLeaks founder has been escaping justice for a whole lot longer.

Because Assange  jumped bail back in 2011 after giving a solemn assurance, his word, that he would abide by the legal process and return to the court which was considering a request to deport Assange to Sweden.

So what can you say about a man like that and even those who support his WikiLeaks activities are fed up with his behaviour including Robert Harris who wrote this piece for The Independent in which he observes that Assange is a 'prisoner of his own ego' and is not above the law. 

America might be waging a war on whistleblowers, but Julian Assange is still a prisoner of his own ego

His refusal to go to Sweden is unacceptable — he is not above the law

By MIKE HARRIS - The Independent


There’s one lesson Julian Assange has learnt from his years living in the UK and that is when to time a story. As soon as silly season began with the nation’s political class off to Tuscany, Assange makes a public statement on rumours of his health (no doubt planted by what is left of team Assange) and his imminent release from the Ecuadorian embassy where he has remained for the last two years.

Assange lives off publicity and mentions of his name in the press. He will no doubt be sore that another whistleblower, Edward Snowden has shadowed his fame.

There is no realistic prospect whatsoever that Julian Assange will be leaving the Ecuadorian embassy in the next few days. If he leaves he faces arrest for breach of bail by the Metropolitan police in the UK and then, as decided after lengthy and thorough legal proceedings, deportation to Sweden to face questioning over two allegations of rape.

Assange knows this, his friends and supporters know this. There is no other option for Julian to head to Sweden to face investigation for rape. It is a pity that friends of Assange do not tell him this truth. He has no strategy except to attempt to beat the heroic record of Hungarian Cardinal Jozsef Mindszenty in his 15 year stay in the American embassy in Budapest.

Yet, there is also another dimension to the Assange saga that his critics fail to acknowledge. If he is found innocent in Sweden (or, after exiting prison) what happens next? Assange allies rightly point to the solitary confinement, degradation and 35 year prison sentence given to Wikileak’s source Chelsea Manning.

President Obama’s war on whistleblowers knows no end. Patriot Edward Snowden remains in Putin’s Russia, a modern open-air gulag, with no prospect of return. It is too easy to suggest the United States is the only actor in this. Sweden is a signatory to the European Convention of Human Rights (as, incredibly, is Russia), but will the Convention prevent further deportation of Assange to the US? It ought to. Yet Europe has been toothless on the rights of whistleblowers. No EU member state even considered granting asylum to Edward Snowden after veiled US threats. Our continent must do better.

Yet, for all this Assange remains a prisoner of his own ego. He cannot accept that our courts have carefully heard the evidence and accepted he must now go to Sweden for investigation. It is not acceptable for him to say to a democracy that their judges and investigators should travel to London to interview him. He is not above the law. The tragedy is that he behaves as if he is a nineteenth-century superhero, in the mould of Byron or D’Annunzio, beyond good and evil and the moral rules of us mere plebeians. His attitude is an elite attitude, he informs us, the deluded masses of what our rulers do behind closed doors.

A hundred years ago, he would have been the toast of Europe. Now, he cuts a lonely figure. The Ecuadorian embassy his one man Fiume. His fine early work alongside traditional journalists exposing some of the worst misdemeanours of our rulers is now overshadowed by this Embassy farce. Friends of Assange should tell him, it is time to go to Sweden. There is no other way out of this prison.

More Money Than Sense (9 February 2013)

Jemima Khan is the latest celebrity supporter to conclude that her previous support and admiration for the WikiLeaks founder - Julian Assange - was badly misplaced.

In fact, Jemima is now comparing Julian - who is currently holed up in the Eucadorean Embassy in London - to the Scientology guru, L. Ron Hubbard.

Now if that's not a fall from grace then I don't know what is - but Assange has a knack of falling out with people it seems to me - which is why I've referred to him for some time as a 'weirdo and narcisssist'.

Jemima Khan also appears to share my views these days - which may be influenced by the fact that Jemima and other Assange supporters put up sureties worth £200,000 to keep their hero out of jail.

Only to find that he went back on his word, lied to the court and his friends, jumped bail - and sneaked into the Ecuadorean Embassy in London where he claimed political asylum.

Jemima and her pals must have more money than sense, if you ask me - but on the other hand it's Assange who's behaved badly with his ridiculous attempts to escape justice in Sweden where he faces police questioning - over alleged sexual assaults on two separate women.

I've not read the piece which Jemima has written for the New Statesman magazine on Julian Assange and WikiLeaks - but if the following comment is anything to go by, Jemima has definitely seen the light:

“I have seen flashes of Assange’s charm, brilliance and insightfulness. But I have also seen how instantaneous rock-star status has the power to make even the most clear-headed idealist feel they are above the law and exempt from criticism.” 

"And he should definitely be standing trial in Sweden," she added.

I've been saying the same thing for months of course - because it doesn't take a genius to work out that his fella's as mad as a box of frogs.

So welcome on board Jemima - at long last. 

Weirdo and Narcissist (3 November 2011)

So Julian Assange has lost his battle against extradition to Sweden - which has been dragging on for months - and will continue into the New Year if the WikiLeaks founder is allowed a further appeal to the Supreme Court.

The whole business is completely ludicrous - you'd think Mr Assange is being threatened with deportation to a banana republic - instead of a modern, sophisticated European country - with an impeccable track record on human rights and the rule of law.

What worries Mr Assange is that Sweden also has a tougher approach than most countries - on women's rights and predatory sexual behaviour by men - but all he's been asked to do at this stage is to explain his actions.

The two Swedish women who have complained about Julian Assange - started out as avid admirers of the WikiLeaks adventure - they are not part of an international conspiracy to do him down.

So instead do all this paranoia - he should behave with a bit of dignity - go to Sweden and give his full co-operation to the relevant authorities.

Here's what I wrote back in February 2011.

WikiWars (February 9th 2011)

The WikiWars saga continues.

Julian Assange is back in court trying desperately to prevent his extradition to that widely despised rogue state - with a supposedly weak legal system and poor track record on human rights - more commonly known as Sweden.

The celebrity legal team defending Julian Assange has flown over a retired Swedish judge - Brita Sundberg-Weitman (a woman) - to give evidence against the Swedish prosecutor, Marianne Ny.

The retired judge reportedly criticised the prosecutor for being a "radical feminist" and described her behaviour as "malicious", "peculiar" and displaying a "bias against men".

But when cross-examined - the retired judge admitted that she had no direct knowledge of Ms Ny's (the prosecutor's) conduct.

Confused - because if so, you're in good company?

Instead of this ridiculous legal circus - Mr Assange should do us all a favour and hop on the next plane to Stockholm.

Where he can deal with the case allegations made against him - in a proper manner.