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

"How Sweden Collaborated With CIA on Renditions & Framing of Assange" | Saley, Osewe & Goss

How Sweden Collaborated With CIA on Renditions and Framing of Assange By Feature Article    NEWS JUNKIE POST Dec 19, 2012 at 5:54 pm By Rafik Saley, Okoth Osewe, and John Goss By his own admission, Sweden’s Ambassador to Australia Mr. Sven-Olof Petersson had advance knowledge of the CIA rendition flight that took place on December 18, 2001 from Stockholm to Egypt. This flight ended in Egyptian nationals Ahmed Agiza and Muhammad al-Zery being illegally rendered and tortured. Mr. Petersson’s admission comes from a statement to the Swedish Parliament’s Constitutional Committee, confirming that he attended a briefing on December 17, 2001 at which the rendition process was finalized. Moreover, the Constitutional Committee’s report shows that he knew about the renditions at the end of November and probably even in mid-November. In fact, it was he who kept Minister of Foreign Affairs Anna Lindh updated on the progress of deportation arrangements with the CIA in November 2001.[i] Petersson was then Sweden’s Director General for Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[ii] Illegal and unconstitutional decisions of this sort, made behind closed doors, show contempt for the Swedish legal system, which has been further denigrated by attempts to get Wikileaks founder Julian Assange flown to Sweden on flimsy allegations of a sexual nature, from where, concerned parties believe the CIA would pick him up and put him on trial in the United States. Ironically, it was through Wikileaks that the world learned about the diplomatic tiff between the US and Sweden that brought an end to Swedish rendition in 2006.[iii] As the Director General for Political Affairs, Mr. Petersson was in regular contact with the US Embassy in Stockholm and was aware of the US request that two Egyptian nationals be illegally rendered.[iv] The rendition went ahead without protest or representation on behalf of the victims, and no one in the Swedish government has been made accountable for this flagrant breach of the law. An admission of Sweden’s culpability can be found in the SEK 3 million (about $458,000) compensation paid to each of the two men after their eventual release.[v] This “hush money” appears to have paid for the non-disclosure of the identities of the Swedish representatives who sought assurances from Cairo prior to the men’s rendition.[vi] Not only Petersson, but also Minister of Justice Thomas Bodström and then Foreign Minister Anna Lindh knew about the renditions.[vii] Thomas Bodström spent a year in the US between 2010 – 2011, purportedly for rehabilitation in connection with alcohol and substance abuse, while he was a partner in the legal firm Borgström & Bodström. It would be lax not to point out to readers that Claes Borgström is the lawyer who was called upon to prosecute Julian Assange over allegations that had previously been dismissed. Further, Borgström is known to be friendly with Irmeli Krans, the police interrogator who took SW’s original statement against Assange. Irmeli Krans, in turn, is friendly with the other complainant, AA, who, it is said, illegally sat in on Irmeli Krans’ interview of SW. [viii] The rendered Egyptians, both of whom were asylum seekers, were returned to Egypt despite Sweden’s Aliens Act (1989) that forbids repatriation to a country where nationals are likely to be tortured. It was well known even then that Egypt uses torture against political prisoners.[ix] The torture of both men on the flight to Egypt, included them being hooded, handcuffed and strapped down. The brutality of the torture in Egypt was captured in a comment by Mr. Agiza who noted that the interrogators routinely beat him, strapped him to a wet mattress and subjected him to electric shock through electrodes attached to his ear lobes, nipples, and genitals.[x] Mr. Petersson´s statements to the Australian media on the impartiality of the Swedish legal system ring hollow when judged against his prior personal involvement in renditions. Even more disturbing is the fact that they have been echoed by Australian Foreign minister Bob Carr. The adoption of the statements shows a lack of judgment on Carr’s part and brings the Australian government’s foreign policy under scrutiny. Carr has urged Assange to travel to Sweden and claimed that it was unlikely that he would be extradited.[xi] Recent statements by EU Home Affairs Minister Cecilia Malmström, urging Mr. Assange to “just go to Sweden” have the same hollow ring.[xii] Malmström has worked closely with US interests in Sweden and elsewhere in adopting harsh measures to stifle free speech in Europe. She purports to know nothing about the Assange case. On the other hand, her partiality and close affinity to the United States are demonstrated by her recent joint briefing with US attorney general Eric Holder.[xiii] She has also co-authored an article with him.[xiv] The question on every reasonable person’s lips is: why can’t the Swedish government “just give Mr. Assange the diplomatic guarantees that he has asked for?” In light of Sweden´s complicity in illegal rendition right up to 2006, a diplomatic guarantee to Assange that he won’t be extradited to the US is of integral importance. After all, the Swedish government has the final say in the matter and, if its past history in illegal renditions is anything to go by, Assange’s fears about extradition or rendition to the United States are justifiable. The Swedish Ambassador accuses Sydney Morning Herald columnist Elizabeth Farrelly of having no knowledge of Sweden.[xv] It is imperative that the columnist learns about Sweden and its foreign policy of the past 20 years, so she might pass on the sinister dealings to her readership. Until recent years, Sweden had a peace policy of which to be proud. For 150 years, the country abstained from war and, in 1966, to celebrate this highly-enviable record, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) was established. After Sweden started cooperating with NATO, the situation began to change.[xvi] Not long afterwards, the Swedish military became involved in world conflicts, and more recently it has looked poised for greater involvement.[xvii] This is not the old Sweden but a new country that demonstrates an unparalleled hypocrisy in its international relations. This trend continues in the refusal by authorities to grant Assange the reasonable assurances that he seeks. Prominent international supporters of Mr. Assange, like Baltasar Garzon, John Pilger, Michael Moore, and Jemima Khan are ridiculed in Sweden today. In addition to the recent changes in foreign and domestic policy, the third largest political party in the country, called Sweden Democrats (SD), has made massive gains during the last elections, despite openly calling for the repatriation of immigrants from Sweden. The SD party enjoyed a 10%  parliamentary share of the vote, which translated into 20 Parliamentary seats. The Swedish government seems to be following the direction of the SD party, especially in its foreign policy positions, which are increasingly pro-American and anti-democratic. Because of Sweden’s pro-American stance on key political issues, a legal system has developed with multiple loopholes that could easily be exploited to Assange’s disadvantage. This legal framework is constitutionally racist against foreigners, especially when they contest ethnic Swedish nationals of the cherished blond-haired, blue-eyed Nordic model. Most worrying of all, Sweden’s history of hypocrisy, lopsidedness and double-speak in dealings with the international community highlights the risk that Julian Assange would be in physical danger if extradited to Sweden from the UK. Under such circumstances, it is reasonable for him to seek unequivocal diplomatic assurances that he would not be extradited to the US if he agrees to go to Sweden for questioning. Despite the pressures from the United States and other pro-western governments, the Republic of Ecuador has granted political asylum to Mr. Assange. On the other hand, the United Kingdom has hindered the free movement of Mr. Assange even though the same government blocked the extradition to Spain of the late Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet. Mr. Pinochet was wanted for the murder of 94 Spanish citizens and many other charges of torture and rape against his own people. Although Julian Assange is an Australian citizen, the Australian government has refused to protect him and has instead accommodated Swedish Ambassador Sven-Olof Petersson, who supports rendition and torture. This is unacceptable in a free, democratic and transparent society. Editor’s Notes: Rafik Saley is general secretary of the African Committee for Development in Stockholm, Sweden; Okoth Osewe writes for Kenya Stockholm Blog; John Goss is a writer and researcher, United Kingdom. SOURCE (WITH CITATIONS & LINKS) http://newsjunkiepost.com/2012/12/19/how-sweden-collaborated-with-cia-on-renditions-and-framing-of-assange/#sthash.VTKJNK95.dpuf  ---------------------- ꕤ  ----------------------  COMMENT  This article totally blows me away.  ꕤ

Cecilia Malmström | European Commissioner for Home Affairs | Interferes Judicial Process 2012 | Prejudicial Statement

⟴   Malmström Worked closely with US interests | 2012 joint briefing with US attorney-general Eric Holder |  Malmström has co-authored an article with Holder  | here CHECK THIS OUT PEOPLE PREJUDICIAL PRESS STATEMENT BY SWEDISH MINISTER Top EU official tells Julian Assange: 'Just go to Sweden and answer the questions' Martin Bentham 3 December 2012 09:24 London 2012-12-03 09:24:50 Monday 3 December 2012 09:24 GMT One of Europe’s leading officials has waded into the row over the Julian Assange case by telling the WikiLeaks founder that he should “just go” to Sweden to face the sex crime allegations against him. Cecilia Malmström, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, said Mr Assange, 41, who is sheltering in the Ecuadorean embassy in London, should “answer the questions” about his alleged attacks on two women. She also dismissed his claim that he would be extradited to the US, saying that she did not “believe for a minute” that it would happen and that it was only a “purely theoretical” risk. “I’m not engaged in this, I know there are talks. But he’s accused of rape, of sexual harassment and if he’s innocent, which he might be — I don’t know — why doesn’t he just go and answer the questions? I don’t believe for a minute that’s why he would go to the US,” Ms Malmström said. Her comments, made after a briefing with journalists in Brussels, will be welcomed by ministers as they try to extradite Mr Assange to Sweden on a European arrest warrant. The WikiLeaks boss fled to the Ecuadorean embassy, where he is now reported to be suffering from a chronic lung condition, in June to claim asylum after judges ruled that he should be sent to Sweden to face prosecutors. He claims the Swedish extradition bid is a ploy to secure his transfer to the US and denies the allegations against him, which include having sex with a sleeping woman and having unprotected intercourse without consent. But Ms Malmström, who comes from Sweden, dismissed his claims about the threat from American prosecutors. “He is asked to come to Sweden because he’s accused of some crimes. He stays in the embassy. For the moment there is no solution. Whether Sweden would extradite him to the US or not, that is up to the Swedish authorities to decide. I don’t think that would happen. That’s purely theoretical.” Ecuador’s ambassador to London, Ana Alban, has called for Mr Assange to be granted safe passage so that he can receive hospital treatment. Ministers have said that they will not prevent Mr Assange, an Australian citizen, from receiving medical treatment, but have warned that he will be arrested if he leaves the embassy. SOURCE http://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/top-eu-official-tells-julian-assange-just-go-to-sweden-and-answer-the-questions-8375231.html COMMENT   “I’m not engaged in this, I know there are talks. But he’s accused of rape, of sexual harassment ... Cecilia Malmström ---------------------- ꕤ  ---------------------- (1) disregarding for a moment that these are flimsy and highly suspect Sweden police allegations, publicly contradicted by the alleged 'victims' [here]; (2) Setting aside the remarks from a woman minister, calculated to stir up a frenzy of outraged, public response by invoking alleged accusations of 'rape' and 'sexual harassment,' as an obligatory AND 'beyond-question' rationale, slyly imposed upon the target of political persecution, to leverage demand for submitting to what amounts to risk of life imprisonment or death sentence, attached to WHAT IS UNREASONABLE DEMAND for TRANSFER to SWEDISH SOIL for an 'INTERVIEW' ... that could be conducted in United Kingdom ...  regarding mere *investigation* of highly suspect Sweden police allegations (allegations which were previously dismissed by a competent Swedish prosecutor); ... read on:   Malmstrom is a Swedish minister who has either taken it upon herself, or has been instructed, to stage a press propaganda smear of Assange, while innocently batting her eyelids, stating to the gathered press: I don’t know — why doesn’t he just go and answer the questions? Cecilia Malmström * not responsible for this matter * So, this is not her area of responsibility and she is not in a position to make credible assessments or statements (leaving aside the problem of political figures making such prejudicial public statements concerning matters before the courts). Oh, puleez!  As if Swedish minister, Malmstrom, and her fellow politicians don't know exactly what the score is. As for the progress of the Swedish inquiry, it is incumbent on the Swedish prosecution to take the first - and ALL necessary steps - towards furthering any legal matter, including this Swedish 'inquiry'. Of course, the shift of focus is from the more pertinent question:  Why had Sweden *not* made appropriate interview arrangements, as at Malmstrom's Dec 2012 statement:  2 years into the fake 'inquiry' - despite ample opportunity and legal precedent? July 2012 Ecuador Embassy notification of willingness to facilitate interview for which Assange is available August 2015 Reality Sweden Refused to Interview Assange in Britain Where Sweden Interviewed 44 Others Between 2010 & 2015 POLITICAL PERSECUTION The Target of the prejudicial propaganda and media smear was not interviewed by Sweden, although interview was sought by Assange throughout, and ample opportunity was given for such an interview in Britain. THREE (3) YEARS after Malmstrom's performance for the world media, Sweden has shown itself unwilling and uninterested in furthering their bogus 'inquiry' into flimsy, Sweden police allegations. Sweden has interviewed 44 persons in Britain between 2010 and 2015, but has not interviewed Julian Assange in London, because:  THIS is political persecution and Sweden is both committed and determined to force Julian Assange onto Swedish soil, so that he can be extradited to the United States. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT  ⟴   Malmström Worked closely with US interests | 2012 joint briefing with US attorney-general Eric Holder |  Malmström has co-authored an article with Holder  | here ---------------------- ꕤ  ----------------------   Please Support Journalist Julian Assange Justice4Assange https://justice4assange.com/ ꕤ