When Julian Assange was first arrested, we were
struck by the unusual zeal with which he was being pursued for rape allegations.
It seems even clearer now, that the allegations
against him are a smokescreen behind which a number of governments are trying
to clamp down on WikiLeaks for having audaciously revealed to the public their
secret planning of wars and occupations with their attendant rape, murder and
destruction.
Justice for an accused rapist does not deny
justice for his accusers. But in this case justice is being denied both to
accusers and accused.
The judicial process has been corrupted. On the
one hand, the names of the women have been circulated on the internet; they
have been trashed, accused of setting a "honey trap", and seen their
allegations dismissed as "not real rape". On the other hand, Assange
is dealt with by much of the media as if he were guilty, though he has not even
been charged. It is not for us to decide whether or not the allegations are
true and whether what happened amounts to rape or sexual violence – we don't
have all the facts and what has been said so far has not been tested. But we do
know that rape victims' right to anonymity and defendants' right to be presumed
innocent until proven guilty are both crucial to a just judicial process.
Swedish and British courts are responsible for
how the women's allegations have been handled. As with every rape case, the
women are not in charge of the case, the state is.
Whether or not Assange is guilty of sexual
violence, we do not believe that is why he is being pursued. Once again women's
fury and frustration at the prevalence of rape and other violence, is being
used by politicians to advance their own purposes. The authorities care so
little about violence against women that they manipulate rape allegations at
will, usually to increase their powers, this time to facilitate Assange's
extradition or even rendition to the US. That the US has not presented a demand
for his extradition at this stage is no guarantee that they won't do so once he
is in Sweden, and that he will not be tortured as Bradley Manning and many
others, women and men, have. Women Against Rape cannot ignore this threat.
In over 30 years working with thousands of rape
victims who are seeking asylum from rape and other forms of torture, we have
met nothing but obstruction from British governments. Time after time, they
have accused women of lying and deported them with no concern for their safety.
We are currently working with three women who were raped again after having been
deported – one of them is now destitute, struggling to survive with the child
she conceived from the rape; the other managed to return to Britain and won the
right to stay, and one of them won compensation.
Assange has made it clear for months that he is
available for questioning by the Swedish authorities, in Britain or via Skype.
Why are they refusing this essential step to their investigation? What are they
afraid of?
In 1998 Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet was
arrested in London following an extradition request from Spain. His
responsibility for the murder and disappearance of at least 3,000 people, and
the torture of 30,000 people, including the rape and sexual abuse of more than
3,000 women often with the use of dogs, was never in doubt. Despite a lengthy
legal action and a daily picket outside parliament called by Chilean refugees,
including women who had been tortured under Pinochet, the British government
reneged on its obligation to Spain's criminal justice system and Pinochet was
allowed to return to Chile. Assange has not even been charged; yet the
determination to have him extradited is much greater than ever it was with
Pinochet. (Baltasar Garzón, whose request for extradition of Pinochet was
denied, is representing Assange.) And there is a history of Sweden (and Britain) rendering asylum seekers at risk
of torture at the behest of the US.
Like women in Sweden and everywhere, we want
rapists caught, charged and convicted. We have campaigned for that for more
than 35 years, with limited success. We are even having to campaign to prevent
rape victims being accused of making false allegations and imprisoned for it.
Two women who reported visibly violent attacks by strangers were given two and three year prison sentences.
But does anyone really believe that extraditing
Julian Assange will strengthen women against rape? And do those supporting his
extradition to Sweden care if he is then extradited to the US and tortured for
telling the public what we need to know about those who govern us?
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