Re:Assange, the law of limitation, and the next eight days
by gadders on Tuesday August 11, 2015 @09:34AM
(#10040899)
Even if we leave aside the specifics of the Assange case, I still find it astonishing as a general principle.
Re:Assange, the law of limitation, and the next eight days
by kiiski on Tuesday August 11, 2015 @10:19AM
(#10041216)
Is five years evading law enforcement really that much better than ~1 year in prison? (One year based on the fact that the five year limit only applies if the maximum penalty is at most 2 years[1], and presumably a first timer would not spend the whole 2 years in prison (and the actual sentence in this case might be below 2 years anyway))
The general principle, as far as I know, is based on the idea that the need for punishment is lessened by time.
[1] https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preskription#Preskriptionstide...
Re:Assange, the law of limitation, and the next eight days
by draugadrotten on Tuesday August 11, 2015 @10:34AM
(#10041332)
> Is five years evading law enforcement really that much better than ~1 year in prison?
No, clearly not, especially considering the circumstances of the evasion is similar to a Swedish prison. He probably doesn't have a playstation in the Embassy, but he could have had one in his prison cell.
The only reason Assange submitted himself to being locked up into the embassy for 5 years is because he truly fears extradition to the US. In my opinion, rightly so. Remember Sweden allowed secret CIA extraordinary rendition, aka torture flights only a few years before the Assange event[1].
[1] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05...
He has argued all along that if he left he would be whisked away for nefarious trials by America and if that was the case then this 5 year date of his hiding will make no difference. Unless he just wanted to avoid the trial for whatever reason.
Still for a trial you need a victim and in this case, that victim was not Assange and we have a trial and victim who will not see justice or any form of trial - fair or not. So can imagine how they feel about this.