A 'cat and mouse' game.
Everyone wants to believe in rule of law. But Marianne Ny proved to Julian that there are ways around everything - including rule of law - and that she's been prepared to cheat.
Nothing is known for sure about why Marianne Ny chose this course, although there are suspicions of direction behind the scenes by Thomas Bodström and Claes Borgström. Marianne Ny is indebted to both of them and for the longest time believed their political party would be back in power by autumn of last year.
Marianne Ny has been playing with a rum deck and has lied to Julian Assange and the media over and over again.
This is the story of what really happened between late August and December 2010.
2010-08-20 — The Complaint
Anna Ardin takes the paradoxically inept Sofia Wilén to the Klara police station atop the central train station in Stockholm. Anna's to meet her friend Irmeli Krans who as it turns out only comes on duty at 16:00. As they arrive at approximately 14:00, there's a two hour wait.Anna Ardin's Gotland buddy Niklas Svensson gets the scoop through a freelance photographer at 19:52. The both of them are outside the city at the PM's annual crayfish bash. They hightail it back to the city not to file an article but in the hope the police can apprehend Julian so they can get a photograph of him being taken away in handcuffs.
Don't forget the gist of the original Expressen smear, approved by Expressen boss Thomas Mattsson: not that Julian was wanted for questioning but that he was a serial rapist. 'Rape' might be different in Sweden where breathing in a politically incorrect direction can be a criminal act but Niklas Svensson, Emanuel Karsten, and a third staffer from Expressen tweeted all night long in English for people in other countries where people think of 'rape' the way most people do. Julian was hung out good and proper. The damage was irreparable. It was intentional as well.
2010-08-21 — Eva Finné
Eva Finné is known as a good jurist. She's dismissing the Thomas Quick cases and inadvertently rubbing Claes Borgström's nose in the dirt at the same time. Claes Borgström made a small fortune off that bit of corruption and hopefully he'll do jail time sooner or later. Finné rescinds the arrest warrant against Julian Assange and drops all charges but one. Everything points to her simply requiring Julian to have his say before the final charge is dismissed as well.Anna Ardin gives testimony by phone earlier in the day before Finné's decision. She hears of the charges being dropped and goes through the roof. She contacts her friends at the feminist blog Rebella where she's a site admin so they can start working on a smear piece against Julian to be published 24 August. She contacts her good friend Claes Borgström because she's scared - the whole thing is blowing up in her face, she's been rash and temperamental as per usual, and now she might be in danger of facing jail time herself.
Claes Borgström tells her he can make some calls, he might get the case reopened again, the best defence is a good offence blah blah, he, she, and Sofia should start working on a strategy to turn the matter into a show trial so they can disparage Julian in the media.
Julian meanwhile wakes the day in shock, makes a few calls, gets ahold of the excellent Leif Silbersky, and prepares to pop in at the police station to get the matter taken care of, when he hears Eva Finné dropped the charges.
End of Day Two.
2010-08-22 — Powwow!
It's a Sunday in August. Sweden's closed down. Claes Borgström, Anna Ardin, and Sofia Wilén meet for a powwow. Borgström wants to outline his plan for destroying Julian Assange in the media. Marianne Ny has been contacted and she knows how her bread is buttered: it's Borgström's pal and law partner Thomas Bodström who gave her the job she has now. She's going to do as she's told and Borgström needs the case to make a political comeback. Anyone who doesn't understand this whole thing is a political shadow game hasn't been paying attention.2010-08-23 — Week Two
Eva Finné formally dismisses the charges against Julian Assange. Marianne Ny's working behind the scenes on taking over the case and will eventually pull rank on Finné and also appoint herself as chief police investigator, a very unusual move. Marianne Ny will do none of the work in the case, leaving that to her assistant Erika Lejnefors who's been very sceptical of the game from the get-go.Anna Ardin's friends publish their piece at Rebella. The article is called 'Even WikiLeaks Heroes Can Do Bad Things'. This is in the wake of the charges against Julian being dropped. It's somewhat a defence of Anna Ardin - she needs a defence - but more importantly it's a new accusation based on the case Eva Finné ruled to be 'no crime'. But feminism is powerful in Sweden. Anna Ardin is able to quickly muster the country into a hate campaign against Julian, just like Claes Borgström wanted.
Julian retains new counsel. Not because Leif Silbersky was inadequate but because he wasn't 'proactive' enough. He said a few things to the media - more than Björn Hurtig ever did - but it wasn't enough. Silbersky was preoccupied with the defence in the big 'helicopter robbery' case. Julian uses Silbersky for the interrogation 30 August but then that's it. Enter Hurtig.
Most of the exchange that takes place from this time forward has to do with Björn Hurtig and the office of Marianne Ny.
It's also important to keep in mind that Julian Assange was in no way 'restricted': they hadn't taken his passport, they hadn't told him to not leave town. The egregious exchange that now follows will happen only because Julian Assange wants to get the matter out of the way. At this point he still 'trusts' the system. He's to learn soon enough how the system can be used against him. So when Björn Hurtig starts contacting the office of Marianne Ny, it's because his client Julian Assange wants the case to move forward - not because Marianne Ny in any way tried to contact him.
There are a lot of stupid stories circulating about how Julian wanted to evade questioning and didn't (even initially) trust the Swedish system. They're all false. Julian Assange revered Sweden back then, had servers based in the country, and repeatedly praised the country. The reason Julian Assange stayed as long as he did in Sweden was because he had every faith the matter would be resolved swiftly, all the while Marianne Ny was deliberately playing 'cat and mouse'.
Björn Hurtig rarely spoke with Marianne Ny. He spoke with her office. He often couldn't reach anyone who could give him a straight answer. He had to ask them to please call back. They never did.
Finally Hurtig got the go-ahead for Julian to leave Sweden. Remember again that Julian was under no restraint to stay in Sweden: the 'go-ahead' to leave only meant they were not interested in questioning him as he'd asked. The connotation was they were preparing to drop the case completely. That was the first part of the double cross.
Julian flew to Berlin 27 September to meet with Marcel Rosenbach of Der Spiegel about the coming release of the Iraq War Logs, of which the world knew nothing at that time. He was then to fly to the UK where he was to take part in a discussion hosted by the Index on Censorship at the City University of London.
But his bags were stolen at the Arlanda airport near Upplands-Väsby outside the capital city. Julian's a careful guy and odds are his data was well protected, but he still lost two Apple laptops to spooks better trained than he. This upset his plans and ultimately meant he'd be detained longer than expected in London.
Not much is said about this theft on Swedish soil. Julian hasn't said much either. But it's hard to imagine such an op being carried out without the assistance of Thomas Bodström's good friends. It's not known or proven Bodström was in fact involved; it's just nigh on impossible to make the pieces of the puzzle fit together without factoring him in. Once he's factored in, the pieces fit too perfectly. But at any rate: Julian arrives in Berlin two laptops short.
What Julian of course did not know at this time was that Marianne Ny, likely acting on the direction of others, had waited until this time - until Julian had left the country - to turn the heat up. Marianne Ny waited until Julian Assange had left the country to issue another arrest warrant - a warrant she kept a lid on for the longest time.
2010-10-06 — Afghan Week
Julian was scheduled to return to Sweden in the beginning of October. He was scheduled to participate in 'Afghan Week'. He was to give a talk on Wednesday 6 October and then to march with the rest of them in Stockholm on Saturday 9 October. This would be Julian's third visit to Sweden that year. It was not to be.Assange Back in Stockholm
http://rixstep.com/1/20101005,00.shtml
Assange's MBP Stolen?
http://rixstep.com/1/20101014,00.shtml
Stefan Lindgren of the Afghan Week committee related the story as told to him by Assange's friend Pratap Chatterjee who was also to appear for the event.
Chatterjee said Julian didn't know who stole his computers but suspicions were directed towards Swedish, British, and US intelligence agencies.
Who in Sweden knew Julian Assange was leaving the country?
Julian was to speak at 18:30 Wednesday 6 October in Stockholm's ABF-huset. Pratap Chatterjee was also to contribute, as was SVT's 'WikiRebels' coproducer Jesper Huor. Julian couldn't make it as the theft at Arlanda set him back a few days.
But the people who did attend were able to contact Julian and warn him about what Marianne Ny was up to.
It was Simon Baker all over again. As in LA Confidential. What Sweden versus Assange calls a 'media broadcast'. The type of thing Danny DeVito and Kevin Spacey used to organise for their mutual benefit. The type of event Niklas Svensson had drooled over less than two months earlier.
The media were there - but not just to catch a glimpse of Julian Assange. They'd been told Julian Assange was going to be arrested as soon as he showed up.
The police were there too. The plan was to ambush Julian Assange and let the media get their photographs of him being led away in handcuffs. Just like what Niklas Svensson had wanted but not got.
Are these the actions of an uncorrupted state prosecutor?
Julian was ready to make Stockholm by the march on Saturday 9 October. But people who cared for his welfare and who didn't like Marianne Ny's double cross warned him off. So he didn't return. And the early afternoon event, starting with a talk at Norra Bantorget (yes right by LO-borgen) by former minister of defence Thage Peterson, would go on without him.
It's at this point Julian Assange realises the game isn't as simple as he'd like to believe. This isn't just a matter of resolving a misunderstanding or settling a legal matter - there are sinister forces afoot. Starting now, Julian knows he's up against something more than anyone had reckoned with.
2010-11-18 — The Red Notice
Marianne Ny's next move - after realising he's been alerted to her double cross - is to organise a new media show for 18 November when her assistant Erika Lejnefors would make the long trek to Stockholm to petition the district court for a Red Notice European Arrest Warrant against Julian.But Julian found out about it way ahead of time. Everyone in the Swedish parliament (Riksdagen) was talking about it. But it was otherwise a well kept secret. Julian had known for weeks what Marianne's next move would be.
Marianne Ny played 'cat and mouse' with Julian Assange all autumn long. She specifically tried to keep him detained in Wandsworth. It was only thanks to Duncan Ouseley that he didn't have to stay there more than he did. Marianne Ny specifically went for Wandsworth over house arrest - for someone wanted only for questioning. For someone for whom she applied for a Red Notice - a higher level than issued even for Gadaffi. And all Julian's wanted for is 'questioning'.
Marianne Ny has systematically refused to discuss any form of questioning other than that available once she has Julian locked up in a hellhole. She's refused to discuss or use the avenues normally used through Mutual Legal Assistance.
She's kept exculpatory evidence from Julian's solicitor. She's refused to follow EU law and provide Julian with the case documentation in a language he understands. She's consistently provided the media with all the details they wanted yet denied Björn Hurtig each time, turning the case more and more into the show trial Claes Borgström wanted.
Marianne Ny lied to the media. She told TIME.com that Swedish law prevents her from traveling to the UK to interrogate Julian. She told the Swedish media the same thing - and then got most of the publications to remove her article or seriously redact it. Marianne Ny is playing with a rum deck.
2011-02 — Belmarsh
Marianne Ny was in trouble when the extradition case made its way to Belmarsh. It was obvious that neither she nor anyone connected to the game knew much of anything happening outside the Duckpond. They got the simple EAW application wrong three or four times. Worst of all was applying for a Red Notice for someone wanted only for questioning. Even Gadaffi and his family rated only the lesser Orange Notice. Marianne Ny got a spook from the US to come in and fix the application.But it's not correct procedure to request someone like that for questioning only. And Marianne Ny made it patently clear in her EAW submission that questioning was all it was about. And keeping things on that level has been very crucial all along for her.
- The moment she announces she's bringing charges against Julian, the whole ball game changes. She has to disclose data she's been keeping secret all along. She has to turn over the SMS messages. She has to turn over the additional testimony and witness statements. She has to put the entire case on the table.
- But she doesn't want to do that. She wants to keep Julian in the dark (both figuratively and literally) as long as possible. She doesn't want him to know what the charges are, what the stories are. She wants to hear his version. And she's hoping he's going to put his foot in it. And to tilt the game in her favour, she wants - as Brita Sundberg-Weitman put it - to 'soften him up'. And yes, it's a form of torture.
Easy - use language confusion. The formal reason for the Red Notice was 'lagföring'. Julian's legal team in Belmarsh got it right: 'lagföring' is not 'arrest'. It means 'processing law'. It's the most general term available. And by meaning everything, it means nothing. You can't state, as Monty did, that lagföring includes arrest. It could also include a Richard Branson trip around the moon but it wouldn't matter.
There are specific words for arrest in Swedish. (Yes they have several.) There are words otherwise used in such circumstances. The foreign governments have to be as clued in as possible if they're expected to cooperate on EAWs. Deliberately being snouty and not giving a reasonable clue what a case is all about is not a good way to conduct business.
Unfortunately it's too typical of Sweden and it runs like a thick red thread through Marianne Ny's behaviour.
That Double Crossing Marianne Ny
Marianne Ny lied to Julian and his legal counsel. She lied to the international media. She lied to the local media. She lied to the British Crown Court.Marianne Ny has an agenda. Whether it's her agenda or someone else's isn't known. But it's sinister all the same.
See Also
Rixstep Industry Watch 22 August 2010: The Campaign Against Julian Assange
Sourced from: Rixstep News
