Hey you know what would be awesome? If you'd call it a rape accusation scandal instead of a "sex scandal." The man is accused of rape.

@1, and the "victim" has since recanted her claims. But hey..who cares, right?

he's such a smarmy douche. like bill maher on steroids.

Here's one of Assange's longtime, dedicated and thoughtful supporters Jemima Khan on her recent shift in thinking on the extradition question.

It may well be that the serious allegations of sexual assault and rape are not substantiated in court, but I have come to the conclusion that these are all matters for Swedish due process and that Assange is undermining both himself and his own transparency agenda – as well as doing the US department of justice a favour – by making his refusal to answer questions in Sweden into a human rights issue. There have been three rounds in the UK courts and the UK courts have upheld the European Arrest Warrant in his name three times. The women in question have human rights, too, and need resolution. Assange’s noble cause and his wish to avoid a US court does not trump their right to be heard in a Swedish court.

http://www.newstatesman.com/2013/02/jemi…

@4 This is very easy to resolve. All Britain and Sweden have to do is put in writing that they will not extradite Assange to the U.S. They refuse to do so.

As I understand it Assange has not been formally charged with any offense. Sweden is looking to extradite him for questioning. The results of that questioning could result in either him being charged or the charges dropped.

Interestingly: "Ecuador offered to allow Swedish prosecutors to question Assange at the Embassy in London, but this was turned down by the Swedish prosecutors". (Wikipedia).

Seems like the Swedish prosecutors aren't really interested in pursuing the case....I mean, airfares from Sweden to UK and London accommodation aren't that expensive...

@7 So basically they don't want to, therefore it's impossible.

@7 I seem to remember one of the girls said all they wanted was him to get tested and when Assange offered up some DNA Sweden pressed harder for an arrest. From the way I am to understand the legal system in Sweden prosecutors have the ability to request an arrest even after a witness withdraws their complaint, while in America and most of the free world the bar is a judge for these kinds of warrants. Sweden is requesting to remove from the UK a person who was accused of rape which in Sweden can be consensual sex without a condom on. I've never attempted to deny his guilt however, when was the last time a prosecutor used this power to take people from other countries based on witness testimony of rape that was later recanted? Prosecutors barely use this authority for people who are more likely to be guilty of rape and now in this case of he said she said the first action is that presence in the country of guilt becomes a necessity?

Imagine if something like this were to happen in the US, just for funzies. Girl goes to police office, explains that a celebrity like figure had sex with her without a condom on and that he's flown to the UK to avoid charges. Prosecutors don't have the authority to arrest the accused rapist in this scenario, they go to the judge and make the request who then looks at the letter of the law about the authority he has to request the person in question. In many states I'm not sure that would really be rape, and a judge wouldn't really be given the authority to remove someone from another country. Even if they would I doubt the case wouldn't be heard by phone, which Sweden claims wouldn't be possible. Assange's case is an insult to every rape survivor who never got their day in court as I know of no other rape case where so much effort was put into tracking down and arresting the accused. If every rape case was given the amount of time and effort put into getting Assange it wouldn't seem so odd to want him. He made himself into a larger than life figure in the wikileaks movement, he did this to himself, and many activists in his community won't forgive him just for that. I wish him luck but he's on his own as far as I'm concerned, but he's being treated special, that's for damn sure.