Sweden Media & Sweden Politician Prejudicial Attack on Assange - 2012

ꕤ Article SOURCE - 2012 http://www.friatider.se/the-swedish-media-war-on-assange Archive https://archive.is/Ppbhi [CLICK image for clarity / enlargement] ꕤ COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Media & Politician Prejudicial Attack on Assange #Sweden media. Deputy editor-in-chief Svenska Dagbladet, #Stockholm daily, Martin Jönsson called #Assange a "paranoid querulant" #WikiLeaks @Raw_Binary 3h 2012 Article Jakten på Wikileaks The Swedish media war on Assange - "Australian pig", "retard", "white-haired crackpot", "scumbag" Publicerad 24 augusti 2012 kl 08.00 Inrikes.Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has claimed that the media climate in Sweden has become so "hostile" against him that it may now jeopardize his right to a fair trial. These allegations have been strongly rejected by several Swedish officials, but a brief glance at recent Swedish media coverage on Assange seems to show that they are not entirely without ground. In a controversial statement last week, Swedish Minister of Social Affairs Göran Hägglund called Assange a 'coward' and a 'pitiful wretch' for taking refuge at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Hägglund also alleged that Assange was afraid of having "his case tried by the court", even though Assange has not been charged with any crime and has not been summoned to court. He added that Assange was a "scumbag" if the accusations against him were true. Another official reaction came from the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in an angry attempt to explain why Assange cannot be questioned in London: 'You do not dictate the terms if you are a suspect. Get it?', the Ministry declared via its official Twitter channel. The bulk of the attacks on Assange, however, do not come from government officials, but from journalists and prominent intellectuals. The four major Swedish newspapers - Dagens Nyheter, Svenska Dagbladet, Aftonbladet and Expressen - have all roundly condemned the Wikileaks founder, using very strong language. A number of examples are provided below to illustrate the general tone of Swedish media opinion on Assange. In Sweden's largest tabloid Aftonbladet, well-known columnist Oisín Cantwell characterized Assange as a "coward", a "creep", a "white-haired crackpot" and an "asshole" because he would rather request asylum from Ecuador than face extradition to Sweden. Cantwell's colleague at Aftonbladet, Johanne Hildebrandt, famous for her reporting from the wars in former Yugoslavia and Afghanistan, chimed in. "He's a paranoid retard who refuses to come to Sweden", she claimed in a recent column. Also writing in Aftonbladet, prominent journalist Martin Aagård called Assange an "Australian pig". "There are many good reasons to criticize Assange. One of them is that he's a repugnant swine", Aagård elaborated. In Svenska Dagbladet, a major Stockholm daily, deputy editor-in-chief Martin Jönsson called Assange a "paranoid querulant" who is to blame for "letting Wikileaks fall into ruins". He described Assange's recent speech from the balcony of Ecuador's embassy as a "megalomaniac's circus". The same theme was echoed by an editorial writer in Sweden's largest daily, Dagens Nyheter, who also called Assange 'paranoid', and a 'querulant'. Jan Guillou, a well-known journalist and probably Sweden's most famous author, recently proclaimed in Aftonbladet that regardless of "whether Assange is guilty or not 'he's still an unprincipled disgusting little creep", adding "and now I'm holding back". Writing in Sweden's second-largest tabloid, Expressen, TV journalist and news anchor Jenny Strömstedt advocated that Assange should be put on display in a glass cage at Ecuador's London embassy for the next fifteen years "so that anyone willing to pay entrance can watch his aging struggles". According to Expressen's culture editor Karin Olsson, Assange is a "dodgy hacker" whom most Swedes view as "a paranoid chauvinist pig". "A year ago we Swedes hailed Assange as a James Bond of the net. Now he's seen as a pitiable, paranoid figure", she writes. Having previously been portrayed as a romantic rebel, Assange has now become the target of what can only be described as a vicious smear campaign. Legal experts commenting on the accusations against Assange, however, have usually been far from convinced that the prosecutor's case holds water.  For example, Ove Bring, professor emeritus of international law, recently stated that the prosecutor would probably have to drop the case against Assange once he has been questioned, since "the evidence is not enough to charge him with a crime". http://www.friatider.se/the-swedish-media-war-on-assange Archive https://archive.is/Ppbhi SUMMARY Göran Hägglund Swedish Minister of Social Affairs called Assange a 'coward' and a 'pitiful wretch' [comment:  for (rightfully) obtaining political asylum] Göran Hägglund Swedish Minister of Social Affairs prejudiced Assange legal standing & smeared Assange with allegations that Assange was afraid of:  'having "his case tried by the court"' ... yet Sweden has 'no case' to speak of Assange has NOT been charged with any crime & Assange has not been summoned to court Göran Hägglund Swedish Minister of Social Affairs Swedish Minister of Social Affairs asserted that Assange: 'a  "scumbag" if the accusations against him were true.' Key here is:  'if' Note:  Assange has not been convicted of any crime or even charged with one, as at the date of the Swedish politician making disgraceful, prejudicial public statements -- or since. Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Twitter 'explanation' for why Assange cannot be questioned in London: 'You do not dictate the terms if you are a suspect. Get it?' Sweden & UK Ministry of Truth TRUE CONDUCT & AGENDA EXPOSED [CLICK image for clarity / enlargement] ꕤ COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Bulk of the attacks on Assange from journalists & prominent intelligentsia [comment:  because they do the dirty work of the state, & probably because politicians, mainstream journalists & intelligentsia rely on the patronage of the same elites] x4 Major Swedish newspapers condemned Assange: Dagens Nyheter (Sweden largest daily) Svenska Dagbladet (major Stockholm daily) Aftonbladet (Sweden largest tabloid) Expressen (Sweden second-largest tabloid) Oisín Cantwell Columnist Aftonbladet (Sweden largest tabloid) "Assange as a "coward", a "creep", a "white-haired crackpot" and an "asshole" because he would rather request asylum from Ecuador than face extradition to Sweden." [comment:  ie. compliant mainstream media reaction re:  politically persecuted Australian journalist obtaining (rightful) political asylum] Johanne Hildebrandt Yugoslavia & Afghanistan [propagandist scribe] Aftonbladet (Sweden largest tabloid) " ... chimed in.  "He's a paranoid retard who refuses to come to Sweden", she claimed in a recent column." [comment:  As pointed out by Assange lawyer, Sweden declined to interview Assange while he was in Sweden & subsequently failed to do so while he was in the UK (making an exception of him)] Martin Aagård prominent journalist Aftonbladet (Sweden largest tabloid) " ... called Assange an "Australian pig"." ""There are many good reasons to criticize Assange. One of them is that he's a repugnant swine", Aagård elaborated." Martin Jönsson Deputy editor-in-chief Svenska Dagbladet (major Stockholm daily) called Assange:  ""paranoid querulant" who is to blame for "letting Wikileaks fall into ruins"." "described Assange's recent speech from the balcony of Ecuador's embassy as a "megalomaniac's circus"." [comment:  it is interesting that the media circus is referred to here, when it is the Swedish authorities that leaked information to the Swedish tabloids in order to create this very media circus and press smear that Assange has been subjected to] Dagens Nyheter (Sweden largest daily) editorial writer: "also called Assange 'paranoid', and a 'querulant'." [comment:  LOL ... I think I'd be 'paranoid', too, if I had a 150-man US law enforcement team, the FBI, the US State Department, the US Department of Justice and various other US agencies intent on extraditing me re secret US Grand jury sealed indictment (legal accusation), confirmed January 2011 (here)] Jan Guillou well-known journalist Sweden's most famous author [in Aftonbladet (Sweden largest tabloid)] "... regardless of "whether Assange is guilty or not 'he's still an unprincipled disgusting little creep", adding "and now I'm holding back"." [comment:  Yep.  What a creep, exposing US (& Western) government wrongdoings & war crimes. How dare he seek to defend himself from dodgy legal assault aimed at US extradition, based on Sweden police flimsy and suspect  'allegations'! And, most of all, how dare the politically persecuted creep obtain political asylum from Ecuador?!] RIGHT-CLICK IMAGE Select:  'Open Link in New TAB' Use Magnifier tool for FULL ENLARGEMENT ꕤ COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Jenny Strömstedt TV journalist & news anchor via Expressen (Sweden second-largest tabloid) " ... advocated that Assange should be put on display in a glass cage at Ecuador's London embassy for the next fifteen years "so that anyone willing to pay entrance can watch his aging struggles"." [comment:  being the subject of intense media attention and assault, while imprisoned without charge on flimsy Sweden 'allegations'  (that come with plenty of mind-boggling regularities) is a lot like the glass cage this tabloid hack envisaged. Coincidentally, it's to this Sweden tabloid, Expressen, that the alleged Sweden 'complainants' proposed divulging information ... information for which they expected to be paid by some source (not clear to me who was expected to make such payment)] RIGHT-CLICK IMAGE Select:  'Open Link in New TAB' Use Magnifier tool for FULL ENLARGEMENT ꕤ COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Karin Olsson Expressen (Sweden second-largest tabloid) "Assange is a "dodgy hacker" whom most Swedes view as "a paranoid chauvinist pig"." [comment:  yaaaawn ... Did the Sweden government issue a press directive or something, seeing these tabloid hacks are echoing the same garbage?] ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- However, legal experts are not convinced by allegations of the Sweden authorities: [CLICK image for clarity / enlargement] ꕤ COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Ove Bring professor emeritus of international law Sweden prosecutor is without sufficient evidence to charge Assange with a crime [ LINK Archive:  https://archive.is/6Ro7S ] Professor Ove Bring also refers to Sweden's reluctance to make an 'exception' of Assange by questioning Assange in London. However, this is not supported by evidence that has subsequently come to light. Sweden has an established practice of questioning parties abroad & has questioned 44 persons in UK alone, whereas it has refused to likewise question Assange in Britain. So Sweden HAS been making an EXCEPTION of Assange, by NOT interviewing ASSANGE in London, as it interviewed the other 44 persons in UK between 2010-2015.   What is this, if not more evidence of POLITICAL PERSECUTION? [CLICK image for clarity / enlargement] ꕤ COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. [CLICK image for clarity / enlargement] ꕤ COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. We have subsequently learned Sweden declined to interview Assange in Britain for strategic reasons:  ie to prevent Assange being able to legally defend himself while they continue the political persecution offensive, and that this strategic legal manoeuvre that apparently disregards the principles of justice, has taken place with the full cooperation of the British and on advice of the British Crown Prosecution Service. The British Crown Prosecution Service also explicitly stated that proposed extradition of Assange is not being treated in accordance with the established norm for all others, ie "as "just another extradition request.' Once again:  political persecution of a journalist who exposed US and Western allied wrongdoings and crimes.  [CLICK image for clarity / enlargement] ꕤ COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Abovementioned Swedish politicians are NOT the first to attack and legally prejudice legal proceedings against Assange.  Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt got straight into political interference in 2010  (here).  That's just off the top of my head.  I think there have been other prejudicial statements - eg:   Cecilia Malmström European Commissioner for Home Affairs 2012 Prejudicial Press Statement { USA link:   US attorney-general Eric Holder, co-author article } LINK  | Post Meanwhile, the array of compliant Swedish journalists and intelligentsia that yap at the heels of Assange in Swedish media, smearing him in an effort to shape negative public opinion, do the dirty work of the corrupt state that is politically persecuting a courageous Australian journalist, on behalf of their powerful US ally. The extent they go to smear and assault Assange would be laughable, were it not so serious a consequence for him. Take Martin Aagård, Aftonbladet, referring to him as an 'Australian pig' and thereby not only assaulting Assange, who is a target of US-Anglo led political persecution, executed by the state of Sweden, but it is also insulting all Australian nationals. Members of the Swedish mainstream press and their mainstream Swedish media publications sound like a bunch of pitchfork waving mentally challenged hicks.  But, of course, they're not:  they're just butt-kissing presstitute journalists doing the dirty work of the state, probably because they pretty much share the same elite patrons as the politicians that comprise 'the state'. Note also that this is the same Swedish press that ignores and helps cover up rape, gang-rape and mob rape of Swedish women by third world arrivals, that the Swedish and European politicians have imposed on Swedes and Europeans for decades now, in support of the agendas of their respective economic and power elites, on whose behalf the West has been (and continues to be) engaged in decades-long serial covert and open military interventions, in the Middle East and in Africa (although these interventions cannot fully explain the suicidal policies such politicians have pursued and imposed on Europeans). And it is the same press that is covering up murder of a teenager: Sweden Media Misrepresents Murder of Teenager in Swedish School European Media Remains Silent LINK | here ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- ꕤ