Assange should be furloughed from Belmarsh prison, says human rights org. Here's a thought: He could stay with friends!

The son of British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood wants accused US government hacker Julian Assange "furloughed" from Belmarsh prison in southeast London, UK. The apparently serious suggestion was made by human rights charity Humanade, of which Joseph Corré is a trustee. Corré, Westwood's son by the late Sex Pistols …

[Zare]

He needs to be made an example of for potential future whistle-blowers, and brits are just doing what they have been told. Nothing new to see here.

[clyde666]

time marches on

It's time to stop treating Assange as if he was the greatest threat to humanity.

[onemark03]

Re: time marches on

Julian Assange just pissed Uncle Sam off and Uncle Sam is reacting vindictively.

Then again, Uncle Sam always was vindictive.

[Doctor Syntax]

Re: time marches on

Actually there was no US extradition warrant out for him when he skipped bail. I rather think that the previous US administration had realised that ignoring him would be a sufficient punishment.

[John Brown (no body)]

Re: time marches on

And Trump promised to reverse all of Obamas policies and decisions, so he's just keeping his spiteful promise.

[@digikoolaid]

Re: time marches on

Julian has been proven correct that a secret Grand Jury existed at the time for the purpose of rendering him to the USA.

[Doctor Syntax]

Re: time marches on

The greatest threat to Assange seems to be Assange. If he hadn't skipped from Sweden he could have served whatever time he was due there and then moved on to wherever would be prepared to take him.

Instead, although there wasn't even a US extradition warrant against him, under the pretext of avoiding extradition to the US he fled to the UK where it would have been much easier for him to have been extradited to the US if they'd asked - which they hadn't. So he then took the extraordinary step of skipping bail, to the detriment of those who'd supported him with bail and hiding in an embassy from which there was no chance of escape without being rearrested. He stated there until (a) there was a US extradition warrant and (b) the Swedish process (which still had first dibbs on him) was pretty well exhausted.

[LucreLout]

Re: time marches on

The greatest threat to Assange seems to be Assange.

It always has been.

When Assange leaves prison, the only debate is where the plane goes - Australia, or America. I can't see any way that he won't get extradited after all the sticking his fingers up at the country. Frankly, as long as the plane takes off, I really don't mind where it goes.

This country must not become a safe haven for alleged rapists trying to flee the law. That the left get their pants in such a twist of Trump while at the same time completely ignoring Assanges behavior will become a textbook example for studies of cognitive dissonance in the year to come.

[@digikoolaid]

Re: time marches on

There never was a rape. Where did you get that mistaken idea ??

[Michael Wojcik]

Re: time marches on

It's time to stop treating him as if he were special, full stop.

[@digikoolaid]

Re: time marches on

Julian is special. Just ask the USA and UK. They have singled him out from all the other publishers and journalists.

[Anonymous Coward]

son of British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood

who?

[HatHatHatHatHat]

It pains me to say this, but he would have been treated better in Russia..

[Stratman]

Then again, anyone who spilled American secrets would be treated pretty well in Russia.

[John Brown (no body)]

Maybe. He and wikileaks are an equal opportunities secrets spiller.

[@digikoolaid]

Is there a reason murdering children, journalists and unarmed civilians from a helicopter gunship is secret ??

[Man inna barrel]

Julian Assange is just another prisoner

There are plenty of prisoners who should be given priority when it comes to early release on license, in order to mitigate the effects of a Covid-19 outbreak in prisons. There is a sizeable elderly population in prison, and there are many prisoners with bad health, who would be more at risk from Covid-19. I do not see Julian Assange fitting into these categories. Also, his previous behaviour indicates that he is likely to try to escape justice if released from prison, which would be a no-no for any consideration of early release, I believe.

[@digikoolaid]

Julian Assange should not be "furloughed" from Belmarsh prison. He should be released.