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0 pointsalkonaut10y ago0 comments

> If Sweden says they won't send him to the USA

So the catch-22 is that he says he is happy to go to Sweden in case he is given guarantees of not being extradited, but no such guarantee is possible under Swedish law.

What swedish authorities could (and should) do in this situation is just make some really broad statements about how even though they have agreements with the USA, no one would ever be extradited from Sweden to any country in case they risked facing the death penalty and/or are whistle blowers.

0 comments

22 comments · 7 top-level

rmc10y ago· 5 in thread

> no one would ever be extradited from Sweden to any country in case they risked facing the death penalty and/or are whistle blowers.

Capital punishment is against the European Convention of Human Rights. No EU (well Council of Europe) country is legally allowed extradite anyone where they would face the death penalty. That's been the law for years. There has never been any question of Assange being extradited and executed, because you can't extradite someone in that case.

Cripes, even Russia has stopped capital punishment because of the ECHR.

tveita10y ago

They're not supposed to be extradited if they will be tortured either, but prolonged solitary detention is not considered torture for reasons of political convenience. (No one wants to call the U.S. out on their extensive ongoing humans rights violations.)

kafkaesq10y ago

Even Russia has stopped capital punishment.

That is, claimed to stop:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Magnitsky

crapiola10y ago

Portugal, a member of the EU has an extradition treaty with India, where criminals can be killed by the state. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-Portugal-sign...

Abu Salem was actually extradited from Portugal to India before this treaty existed

Tomte10y ago

That's not a refutation of what he said.

EU countries also extradite to the US. But only after the US assure that in the specific case the death penalty will be neither sought nor imposed.

kiiski10y ago

A quote from the link:

> The treaty with Portugal comes after India accepted its two main conditions that the extradited person would not face either a death sentence or life imprisonment beyond 25 years.

halviti10y ago· 4 in thread

What Swedish authorities should do is just interview him remotely and then decide whether to prosecute. Case closed.

hedwall10y ago

They agreed to do an interview at the embassy, then the embassy declined.

Tepix10y ago

That's a rather incomplete summary of the story, if you are interested in the topic you should make sure to read the various reports about this whole affair.

k-mcgrady10y ago

Didn't they come to the embassy a few weeks ago to interview him?

ryanlol10y ago

Few weeks ago is also when UN announced the decision to state parties.

Tomte10y ago· 3 in thread

As a European country Sweden does not extradite in case the extradited person faces the death penalty.

runarb10y ago

Sweden has done some questionable extraditions in the past: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repatriation_of_Ahmed_Agiza_an...

alkonautOP10y ago

The previous "CIA scandal" is still very well remembered here, and is just another reason that it won't be repeated. The political fallout would be massive.

2 more replies

ryanlol10y ago

I'm not entirely sure why that's relevant, it only protects Assange from being executed.

blowski10y ago· 2 in thread

Is Julian Assange a whistle blower or a reporter on whistleblowers?

pessimizer10y ago

A whistleblower is a reporter.

blowski10y ago

When I hear the term "whistleblower" I assume the person works inside the organisation on whom they are 'blowing the whistle'.

ryanlol10y ago· 1 in thread

And the US would just say "we won't execute Assange"

bb8810y ago

"...we'll just lock him up with convicted gang members and rapists."

Tepix10y ago

This isn't about the death penalty. The US would probably guarantee that Assange will not be sentenced to death, then they can put him into solitary confinement for the rest of his life.

vidarh10y ago

> but no such guarantee is possible under Swedish law.

There is no legal impediment to for the Swedish government preventing them from refusing extradition. What makes you think there is?

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

22 comments · 7 top-level

rmc10y ago· 5 in thread

> no one would ever be extradited from Sweden to any country in case they risked facing the death penalty and/or are whistle blowers.

Cripes, even Russia has stopped capital punishment because of the ECHR.

tveita10y ago

kafkaesq10y ago

Even Russia has stopped capital punishment.

That is, claimed to stop:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Magnitsky

crapiola10y ago

Portugal, a member of the EU has an extradition treaty with India, where criminals can be killed by the state. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-Portugal-sign...

Abu Salem was actually extradited from Portugal to India before this treaty existed

Tomte10y ago

That's not a refutation of what he said.

EU countries also extradite to the US. But only after the US assure that in the specific case the death penalty will be neither sought nor imposed.

kiiski10y ago

A quote from the link:

> The treaty with Portugal comes after India accepted its two main conditions that the extradited person would not face either a death sentence or life imprisonment beyond 25 years.

halviti10y ago· 4 in thread

What Swedish authorities should do is just interview him remotely and then decide whether to prosecute. Case closed.

hedwall10y ago

They agreed to do an interview at the embassy, then the embassy declined.

Tepix10y ago

That's a rather incomplete summary of the story, if you are interested in the topic you should make sure to read the various reports about this whole affair.

k-mcgrady10y ago

Didn't they come to the embassy a few weeks ago to interview him?

ryanlol10y ago

Few weeks ago is also when UN announced the decision to state parties.

Tomte10y ago· 3 in thread

As a European country Sweden does not extradite in case the extradited person faces the death penalty.

runarb10y ago

Sweden has done some questionable extraditions in the past: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repatriation_of_Ahmed_Agiza_an...

alkonautOP10y ago

The previous "CIA scandal" is still very well remembered here, and is just another reason that it won't be repeated. The political fallout would be massive.

2 more replies

ryanlol10y ago

I'm not entirely sure why that's relevant, it only protects Assange from being executed.

blowski10y ago· 2 in thread

Is Julian Assange a whistle blower or a reporter on whistleblowers?

pessimizer10y ago

A whistleblower is a reporter.

blowski10y ago

When I hear the term "whistleblower" I assume the person works inside the organisation on whom they are 'blowing the whistle'.

ryanlol10y ago· 1 in thread

And the US would just say "we won't execute Assange"

bb8810y ago

"...we'll just lock him up with convicted gang members and rapists."

Tepix10y ago

This isn't about the death penalty. The US would probably guarantee that Assange will not be sentenced to death, then they can put him into solitary confinement for the rest of his life.

vidarh10y ago

> but no such guarantee is possible under Swedish law.

There is no legal impediment to for the Swedish government preventing them from refusing extradition. What makes you think there is?

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse