Another day inside and outsisde Belmarsh and Assange got his answer and the media their headlines - he's getting extradited to Sweden. (Full judgment here)
It wasn't a done deal and still is subject to appeal but reviewing the evidence (in the public domain) and the judgment issued by Mr Justice Riddle, Mediabeak concludes that the legal argument supporting the decision to extradite on the grounds given is supportable - i.e. it is legally correct to grant extradition (in spite of the manner in which such extradition was sought and political intervention by the Swedish Prime Minister) - though such decision may not - in all the circumstances be the correct one.
Unless or until successfully appealed, today's decision allows the UK to get rid of Assange and make him Sweden's problem.The reassurance he has and would have had back in the UK is that there would need to be sufficient evidence upon which to bring an action and try him. The current position is somewhat different in that the pretext for issuing the European Arrest Warrant was to question Assange to ascertain if he was involved in a crime in the first place.
Having read the judgment it is clear Mr Justice Riddle has played it safe and by the book to produce a ruling that appears - in Mediabeak's assesment - defensible and while not what many would want to hear - does legally stack up. The key focus - aside from the pending appeal and its outcome - has to be on the case and trial back in Sweden. To the extent questions were raised over the issue of the European Arrest Warrant, there has to be a line of questioning that adresses and supports this.
srenting ede
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