Assange assault accusers sought 'revenge,' attorneys say
Financial motive also alleged
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Text messages sent by the two women who accuse Julian Assange of sexually assaulting them refer to revenge and financial gain in messages that undercut the veracity of their claims, attorneys for the WikiLeaks founder said on Tuesday.
Testifying in Belmarsh Magistrates' Court in east London, defense witness Björn Hurtig said he was permitted to review hundreds of messages under police supervision, but was not allowed to copy them. Hurtig, Assange's Sweden-based attorney, said he read messages that spoke of "revenge" and taking “economic advantage" of his client, according to IDG News and other outlets.
Dozens of messages sent by one of the alleged victims, identified only as Miss W, go against her claim that Assange raped her while she slept during his 10-day visit to Stockholm in August, and suggest she has a “hidden agenda,” Hurtig said.
Assange has denied any wrongdoing, and said sexual relations with both women were entirely consensual.
Claims about the text messages came to light during the second day of hearings into whether Assange should be extradited to Sweden. Prosecutors there have said they want him available for questioning. They have issued a warrant for Assange's arrest but haven't filed charges in the case. The hearing is scheduled to resume on Friday.
Assange's attorneys also presented testimony from former Swedish prosecutor Sven-Erik Alhem, who said prosecutors should have questioned Assange sooner after deciding to reopen their investigation. The case was initially closed shortly after the assault allegations were made. Prosecutor Marianne Ny later reversed that decision.
“In my opinion [Ny] should then have made sure Assange was given the opportunity to give his version of the events in detail,” Alhem said. Defense witness Geoffrey Robertson testified on Monday that it was improper for prosecutors to issue an extradition request without first charging the suspect. Clare Montgomery, representing the British government, countered that authorities in Sweden have “sufficient intention” to prosecute.
Defense attorneys have also argued that if Assange is extradited, he could end up being forcibly transferred to the US, detained at Guantanamo Bay, and eventually executed.
Additional coverage from The Independent and The Telegraph are here and here. ®
COMMENTS
Irony, much?
"Ironic, given that, ostensibly, the purpose of the extradition is to make sure he does exactly that"
Unfortunately for your sense of irony, that is what extradition under a European Arrest Warrant exactly isn't for.
WTF
"Prosecutors there have said they want him available for questioning"
That not a reason for an extradition. It falls far, far short of even the most basic of human rights values.
@David Wilson...
During the investigation back in 2010 Assange had applied to Sweden to enter the country to face his accusers. On 21st August 2010 the charges were dropped by Sweden at the same time Sweden was ALSO deciding whether to let Assange enter. This is hard fact released by the prosecution to the media, including the BBC at the time.
The reasons the Swedish head prosecutor gave for dropping the charges was………..
…… (direct quote) "the chief prosecutor had come to the decision that Mr. Assange was not suspected of rape” (unquote)………
It wasn’t until the release of the US documents that the Swedish prosecution obtained new evidence from the alleged victims and reinstated those charges again. In turn the alleged victims made contact with each other and decided to become rich and famous just before supplying that evidence. Again this was all made public over the last month or so by everyone involved.
Strange how you never mentioned this lot, very strange indeed.
This is a fit up, it shouts it in the loudest terms possible. No one in their right mind would go back to Sweden under these circumstances, not in a million years.
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