A former supporter of Julian Assange denounces his behavior
Jemima Khan has shown great courage in turning on Julian Assange. In a feature in the New Statesman, she described him as being “more like an Australian L. Ron Hubbard” than the crusader he has portrayed himself. Suggesting Assange thinks himself like a real life Jason Bourne, she commented:
“It may well be that the serious allegations of sexual assault and rape are not substantiated in court, but I have come to the conclusion that these are all matters for Swedish due process and that Assange is undermining both himself and his own transparency agenda – as well as doing the US department of justice a favour – by making his refusal to answer questions in Sweden into a human rights issue.”
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Birkett on Assange
Our new legal expert Birkett shares his thoughts on the decision to cease policing Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy
‘There have been three rounds in the UK courts and the UK courts have upheld the European Arrest Warrant in his name three times.”
“The women in question have human rights, too, and need resolution. Assange’s noble cause and his wish to avoid a US court does not trump their right to be heard in a Swedish court.”
“I don’t regret putting up bail money for Assange but I did it so that he would be released while awaiting trial, not so that he could avoid answering to the allegations.”
In a firm but fair article, Khan stated: “I remain convinced that if Assange is prosecuted for espionage the future of investigative journalism everywhere would be in jeopardy” but added “[Julian Assange] has been guilty of the same obfuscation and misinformation as those it sought to expose, while its supporters are expected to follow, unquestioningly, in blinkered, cultish devotion.”
Jemima Khan talks sense. Some of what Assange did was in the public interest but his behaviour now is ridiculous and his attitude to justice perverse. Julian Assange should walk out into Hans Crescent and hand himself in.
Read Jemima Khan’s New Statesman article at: http://www.newstatesman.com/2013/02/jemima-khan-julian-assange-how-wikileaks-founder-alienated-his-allies
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5 comments
A fair analysis.
Jemima Khan Charity Fundraiser, Human Rights Campaigner, Former Ambassador UNICEF can no longer defend the indefensible. It is called Public Relations Risk Management. What courage? Hypocrite maybe.
good on her – its hard to take a public position on people you k
The dilemma between Julian’s responsibility to answer to the allegations of rape in Sweden versus his well-founded concerns about extradition to the US to face more serious charges (in the eyes of the US government) related to Wikileaks remain unresolved, despite the fact that many proposals have been put forward to resolve this dilemma, but have been either rejected or not responded to.
The US will not give a straight answer as to what action they will take if Julian is extradited to Sweden. The Swedish government have not given any response as to whether they will extradite Julian to the US if requested to do so by the US.
Proposals to be questioned (and let’s not forget that that’s all that it is at this stage – there are as yet no charges, only a demand for questioning) under the protection of asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy either in the UK or in Sweden have not been responded to.
These questions about what will take place, and these proposals for a solution to the need for Julian to be questioned, are quite reasonable, and in the absence of any response to these questions and proposals it is understandable that Julian is maintaining refuge.
Mark Reynolds must think that we are all nikampoops.
Julian Assange has been acting out his manipulative melodramatic malodorous clown routine for far too long.
Posing as a Champion of Justice, Human Rights, Free Speech.
He reminds me of the William Fisher character in Keith Waterhouse’s novel Billy Liar.
Enough is a Enough.
Get him out of there.