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Comment by mpk | Hacker News Reader

I'll refrain from commenting on the allegations, but the timing is very suspicious. I mean, really, right after this big leak? And anyway, how many people make the Interpol Red Notice list for rape allegations?

As long as we're on the tin-foil hat path, being dragged to Sweden would place him into custody there. (I know, he's wanted 'for questioning' - that's what the Red Notice is based on). That would give the USA (which has an extradition treaty with Sweden) plenty of time to build a legal case against him without worrying about him disappearing or pulling more PR stunts.

As long as the USA doesn't charge him with something that is punishable with the death penalty (most EU countries won't extradite suspects that would face that), it's into the bureaucratic legal mill for him.

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And anyway, how many people make the Interpol Red Notice list for rape allegations?

Most alleged rapists don't constantly relocate around the world like Assange. People who don't hop from country to country don't end up on Interpol watchlists because generally, the country that wants to take them into custody just directly negotiates with the country they're residing in.

I'm not saying Assange moves around a lot to avoid the Swedish justice system--the idea that he does it for the interests of Wikileaks is credible enough--but regardless of his motivation for moving around from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, that's the kind of behavior that elevates a matter from a simple extradition matter to an international watchlist.

The allegations are from back in August.

I took mpk to mean the timing of the Interpol Red Notice, not the allegations themselves.

Well, if an alleged rapist starts making a big noise about himself, then it's not too surprising that he suddenly finds his rape case on the top of the investigating officers' pile of cases.

I have no idea whether he's guilty, but he should certainly return to Sweden to stand trial.

he's not been charged.

>he should certainly return to Sweden to stand trial.

He hasn't been charged with anything.

but he should certainly return to Sweden to stand trial

If you're innocent, there's no moral obligation to stand trial. The onus rests with the accusers to make the case. It may or may not be in the accused's best interest to offer a defense, but I fail to see how he's bound merely by the accusation.

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