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‘The Assange case has distorted the definition of rape’
If the Wikileaks founder shook the world with Cablegate, his alleged sexcapades have now led to a diplomatic stand-off between Britain and Ecuador. The British government has unleashed a posse of cops on Julian Assange, the Latin Americans are heralding him as the new Simon Bolivar and the British press is screaming out to send the ‘hacker’ back to Sweden. Wikileaks spokesperson Kristinn Hrafnsson, however, tells Sai Manish that Sweden might just be a pit-stop for the British to hand over Assange to the Americans who are baying for his blood.
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Kristinn Hrafnsson
Photo Courtesy:
Djackmanson, Wikipedia.Commons |
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Excerpts from an interview
What are the difficulties you are facing to ensure a safe passage to Julian Assange? What has been the attitude of the British government in arriving at an amicable solution?
The attitude of the British government has made it very difficult to put a timeframe on when Julian Assange can be granted a safe passage to Ecuador. The British government has threatened to forcibly storm the Ecuadorian embassy. This has a bearing on not just the case of Assange but portends badly for British missions abroad. The threat to invade the embassy has soured relations between Latin America and Britain. The issue of Assange’s extradition is now a matter of bilateral dialogue between Britain and Ecuador. The British government has failed to acknowledge that Ecuador cannot be influenced through high-handed pressure tactics. Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has even expressed optimism that dialogue would pave the way for Assange’s asylum in his country. But the British government has been rigid and irresponsible in its approach.
Do you trust Sweden or do you think they are sympathetic to the Americans?
I am sceptical of Sweden and their behaviour has been suspicious. For one, the Swedish authorities have not guaranteed that Assange will not be extradited to the US if he comes to face trial. Those fears are substantiated by the appalling attitude of Swedish prosecutors. Assange has always expressed willingness to be available for questioning over video link. But Swedish prosecutors have always denied him the opportunity. It is well within Sweden’s laws to allow a person to depose on video but prosecutors strangely have insisted that he appear in person. None of this truly inspires confidence in Sweden.
What do you make of the sexual assault charges against Assange and what has been the impact of this case on the functioning of Wikileaks?
It must be noted that Assange has not been charged for rape in Sweden. This case has distorted the definition of rape. Even feminists like Naomi Wolf have spoken out saying that classifying this case as rape is an insult to the rape victims across the world. The two alleged victims have never filed a complaint of rape against Assange. It is the Swedish prosecutors who are trying to frame him in this manner.
Did Assange ever explore the possibility of seeking asylum in India?
The decision on where to seek asylum was taken by Assange himself. The Swedish authorities were closing the door on him and he had to act under duress very quickly. Only he would know whether he sought the help of Indian authorities within the limited time he had to take a decision. Wikileaks has struck a chord with the people of India and we are proud that Assange’s ideals of a free world have resonated there. We are proud of the fact that unlike nations like Britain and Australia, India has held its own in the face of immense pressure from the US. India is doing great things for its people without succumbing to pressure like many European nations have.
Who is the biggest villain – US, Britain or Australia?
It is obvious that the US has been putting pressure on nations into handing over Assange. Many nations like Australia are deceiving people by wearing a cloak of neutrality. Australia itself has played down threats of extraditing Assange. But the deceit was exposed by the media, when it was revealed that the Australian embassy in Washington had been collecting information on extradition requests from the US. The case against Assange in Sweden is just a smokescreen to extradite him to the US. It is sad to see that Australia has been incompetent in ensuring the safety of its own citizen. The US is carrying out a witch-hunt against Assange and it is clear that Sweden, Britain and Australia are merely following orders from Washington. There is a clear political agenda against Wikileaks and the relentless intimidation—be it through banking blockades or Internet blackouts—is nothing short of an attack on free speech by those who claim to be its champions.
Sai Manish is a Senior Correspondent with Tehelka.
sai.manish@tehelka.com
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