What a good speech

[TimberWolf]

I reckon the Daily Wail crowd would have him birched. They're all perverts like that.

They've found him innocent, so no birching required. Probably the worst he can expect are derogatory comments about his hair style and his likeness to John Innman.

[Mich the Tester]

They've found him innocent, so no birching required. Probably the worst he can expect are derogatory comments about his hair style and his likeness to John Innman.

That alone should justify giving him political asylum. Then we can all watch him go on TV and say 'I'm free!'

[NickFitz]

AFAIK

You know wrong. He is alleged, among other things, to have had sex with a woman without her consent. I don't know what the Swedish legal system calls it, but in the UK that's called rape.

[TimberWolf]

That alone should justify giving him political asylum. Then we can all watch him go on TV and say 'I'm free!'

As long as he didn't touch anyone's pussy.

[Paddy]

His behavior might preclude him from making really important bail sometime in the future - he should have went straight for Chaves instead even though that one won't last too long

Oh, did somebody bother to tell him that normally people seek asylum to stay out of their own native country - part of conditions is not being allowed to visit their own country that supposedly persecutes them
He'll be fine though compared to the chap who leaked him documents and who'll be most likely spending rest of his life in prison.

Nope, that used to be the case 20 or more years ago when it was only political asylum; passports were not issued for some and a Home Office travel certificate would be issued. Asylum can now be granted on a various grounds included domestic violence, terminal medical conditions, racism, persecution of religion and they can still retain their passports.

[d000hg]

Because he is an adult and adults have sex.

So in your view not turning up to court if you're accused of something is the best way to prove your innocence?

[NotAllThere]

Would you prefer to sip cocktails on the beach in Ecuador while not moaning too much about the government or sit in a US prison trying to run a website without access to a computer?

OK, done. If you need any more questions on the poll, let me know. Or if the results need skewing.

[Paddy]

So in your view not turning up to court if you're accused of something is the best way to prove your innocence?

There is NO court hearing in Sweden, not even an arrest warrant. He is wanted for questioning but once back in Sweden he fear is; he will be sent to the US. Once in the US he can be held indefinitely without trial or charges under the anti terror laws.
The court in the UK will not hear is case, that is not they are not concerned with the merits of the case nor will he be given an opportunity to argue his case.
If there was a trail scheduled then he could prove his innocence. But there won’t be any trail.

[vetran]

I think he is being fitted up like a kipper.

But he pretty much asked for it by shagging anything that moved and that didn't object too much.

AIUI the case is pretty flimsy and his final destination looks to be the US where he will probably 'disappear'.

[Paddy]

Just in order to question someone for an alleged minor offence, doesn’t it seem a waste of police resources in surrounding and virtually blockading the embassy and getting legal opinion from the USA for whether it would be legal to arrest him if he takes political asylum? The amount of resources spent by the UK and US government speaks volumes. The Judiciary is obviously being lent on because legislation is being re-interpreted just for this case.