CNN
Did people and governments attempt to smear him? I have no doubt of that fact. But that doesn't mean that this man, who is, by a lot of accounts, supremely impressed with himself, did not behave in a manner that was illegal. Having powerful enemies (that you've deliberately gone out of your way to make) doesn't mean you're pure as the driven snow.Assange has been fighting for a year and a half against being sent to Sweden for questioning about accusations of sexual abuse. Two women accused him in August 2010 of sexually assaulting them during a visit to Sweden in connection with a WikiLeaks release of internal U.S. military documents.
WikiLeaks' work is not at issue in the extradition matter or the Swedish allegations against Assange.
Assange has not been charged with a crime, but Swedish prosecutors want to question him about allegations of "unlawful coercion and sexual misconduct including rape," according to a Supreme Court document.
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Assange has been under house arrest in Britain since December 2010.
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Two women Assange had sexual relations with in Sweden in August 2010 subsequently went to police, who took down their complaints, according the Britain's Supreme Court. Police then interviewed Assange.
The WikiLeaks founder left Sweden "in ignorance of the fact that a domestic arrest warrant had been issued for him," according to the UK high court. A Swedish court granted a warrant for his "detention for interrogation," and Swedish prosecutors issued the European Arrest Warrant for his detention in Britain.
If he were so afraid of the US getting their hands on him, why is he in the UK? I would figure that it would be much easier to get the UK to extradite him to us for whatever crimes that we wanted to charge him with rather than engage in some back water dealing that involves "laundering" him through Sweden.
It certainly hasn't stopped us from spending time and energy going after NASA hacker Gary McKinnon.