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Julian Assange & The Swedish Feminist Conspiracy

The irony's thick.

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STOCKHOLM (Rixstep) — The irony's thick. Julian Assange, frontman for an organisation dedicated to exposing conspiracies, arrives in Stockholm Sweden on 11 August and inadvertently exposes the biggest conspiracy in the country.

Following is an interview with noted Swedish jurist Per Samuelson, perhaps best known for his skilled cross examination of John Kennedy of the IFPI in the district court trial of The Pirate Bay. Samuelson has authored a book on cross examination techniques and is noted for his concern for the rule of law.

Q: Will Assange be extradited to Sweden?
A: Yes, there is no doubt. That's why the British police have arrested him.

Q: In the very liberal Sweden, is it rape if a man breaks a condom by accident or on purpose during otherwise mutually desired intercourse?
A: People from other countries with different legal cultures just do not understand how extensive the Swedish legal system is regarding sexual crimes. The allegations made against Julian Assange in Sweden must seem to Assange as pure nonsense, as a joke. But he must understand that these are the kind of things for which men go to prison in Sweden.

Q: Will Assange have to expect a sentence?
A: Yes. The risk is great. If he is convicted, he must reckon with two years in prison.

Q: Do you think he should still come to Sweden? Some people fear that he may escape to a country which does not extradite.
A: I think he must face the charges in Sweden as soon as possible. The longer he refuses to face the interrogation, the worse the suspicion against him will become. One has to take into account that he is not convicted. So far, he is only suspected. Because journalists from all over the world look at this case, Assange has a better chance to get a fair trial than Swedish men who had to go to prison in the past even if there were serious doubts about their guilt.

Q: Back in 2007 you warned against a 'mob law' in cases of sexual crimes in Sweden - even cases in which there was major doubt were decided against the accused. Has this changed?

A: There was a discussion, but it has not changed. Political pressure which has the equality of women in society as starting point - which is in principle commendable - has led to an unacceptable very high legal uncertainty for defendants in Sweden. This is what Assange is experiencing right now. The feminist movement in Sweden is particularly strong. It has long been criticised by women's rights activists that the judges would believe men more. It was said that it was impossible to get justice as a woman. Now the reverse is true in Sweden.

Q: Has it become easier for women to get men convicted for sexual misconduct?
A: Yes, today convictions are demanded due to a basic political tenor. The tenor: in rape cases, men have to be sentenced; otherwise it is unfair to women. This is unworthy of a constitutional state. In Sweden, the consensus is: you say the truth because you're a woman. That is the limit for me. I am for the equality of women in society. Of course. But it cannot go so far that people who are innocent are convicted. In Sweden, the so-called victim's perspective is so advanced that there are even people out there who believe in all seriousness that it is unacceptable that women in general are exposed to the rigours of an interrogation in court. People say we as trial lawyers would offend these women because we interrogate them on behalf of our clients. I think such a culture is unprecedented in Western Europe.

Q: What do you think of the actions of the prosecutor Marianne Ny? In Sweden, she is considered a feminist who demanded as early as 1999 that men should be held in pre-trial custody prior to any investigation to give the women a chance to be clear about what was done to them.
A: I cannot say anything about Mrs Ny's background, but based on her actions I can determine that she has acted unusually harshly against Julian Assange, even for the Swedish legal practice. It's all mainly about him to be interrogated. I do not understand that Marianne Ny has not just flown to London to interrogate him there. He had offered that. Instead, an international arrest warrant is issued against him and the whole world freaks out. The harsh treatment against Assange was totally unnecessary. Assange even remained in Sweden for several weeks to face interrogation upon receipt of the indictment. When nothing happened, he left with the approval of Ny, which she herself has acknowledged to be the case.

Q: How did it all go so wrong?
A: This is indeed difficult to understand. The prosecutor has now painted herself into a corner where the whole thing has become a legal world war around Julian Assange. This is hardly useful for the factual issue.

Q: Who do you think will emerge as winner in this case?

A: Honestly? Currently I believe that the dispute will benefit Julian Assange more than the prosecution side. A week ago I thought it was the other way around, I must admit. But because he is now free on bail in England and because in Britain a lot of the media are on his side, he has won the world public over (except Sweden). This is favourable for Assange.

If it comes to a trial and the world learns of the details of the accusations against him from the currently kept secret investigation files, the world will find it ridiculous and meet it with a shake of the head.

Q: Have you read the investigation files?
A: No, I have not, but it will probably be about the broken condom. The prosecution claims he broke it on purpose. Even if this should be true, it is not in proportion to the severity of the prosecution and the judges, which I criticise sharply. This cannot be allowed to happen in a state of law.

Q: Which advice would you give to Julian Assange as a lawyer?
A: I would go to London, immediately put him in a bag and bring him to Sweden. He has to turn himself in. Otherwise the perception that he is guilty will win here. I am also sorry that he as a defendant is abused like this by the Swedish legal system. I do not think that Germany would issue an international arrest warrant because of a broken condom. As it were Assange has revealed to the world how unjust it can be in Sweden. How much suffering waits to be unleashed behind Swedish prison walls.

If I am able to reveal what I know, everyone will realise this is all a charade. If I could tell the British courts, I suspect it would make extradition a moot point.
- Björn Hurtig

I can tell you that the Swedish prosecution still hasn't provided copies of those SMS texts that have been referred to. Those texts are some of the most powerful exculpatory evidence. In Australia prosecutors have a very grave duty to disclose such evidence to courts when seeking the grave exercise of a court's power against an individual. Yet in Sweden in this case, in the first hearings to obtain an arrest warrant, those texts were not submitted to the Swedish court, which is highly improper.
- James Catlin