The fact is that the Swedish government has decided over and over again - and behind the justice courts - the rendition of political prisoners to countries with death penalty and even secretly collaborated with the CIA for such purposes.
Prime Minister Frederik Reinfeldt and President Bush
While AFP and DN announce that Swiss banker/whistleblower Rudolf Elmer has been arrested anew - after he has been first acquitted (Assange-case revisited?) - AP reports Swedish PM Reinfeldt told reporters in London (20/01) that "Sweden's policy is not to extradite people to nations with the death penalty. But he said Sweden's courts, not its government, would decide that."
This is utterly untrue.
Everybody in Sweden with some insight in domestic political affairs, knows that the Swedish government has collaborated in the rendition of political prisoners labeled in the USA as terrorists (like in the case of Assange, publicly signaled as terrorist by US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell 5/12-2010. See NBC video below) to countries in which the death penalty is in use. And not only death penalty was in use in those countries, but also a widespread use of inhuman torture exercised against prisoners characterized by the USA as posing a political or military terrorist threat.
Decisions of this kind taken in recent years by the Swedish government had absolutely nothing to do with the Swedish courts, which have been in the best case overruled or simply - like in the most notorious cases- not even engaged.
Rudolf Elmer handing over Wikileaks materials
In one of the most notorious cases of rendition of foreign-born political prisoners to USA’s CIA we find the direct participation of Thomas Bodström, then minister of justice in the Swedish government (See column by Attorney Andrew Kreig Partner At Firm Counseling Assange’s Accusers Helped In CIA Torture Rendition. The article analyzes Bodström´s alleged participation in the rendition to USA of two political refugees transported by the CIA to torture in Egypt). Minister Thomas Bodström was, in point of fact, subject in 2009 of an inquiry by the Swedish Constitutional Board for his participation in the CIA-renditions. This is the very same Thomas Bodström who is the co-owner of the law firm Bordström & Borgström, which has instigated in Sweden the current charges against Jules Assange and the request for an extradition in London.
Photo of Thomas Bodström in Aftonbladet's article "Bodström KU-anmäls" authored by Sussana Vidlund and Tobias Österberg/TT of 19-01-2009
In a blog he publishes from its residence in Virginia, USA, Bodström boasted December 2nd 2010 “it is our law firm that represent the plaintiff (the women in the Assange case) through Claes Borgström” [“Det är vår advokatbyrå genom Claes Borgström som är målsägandebiträde”].
Further, Thomas Bodström belongs to the very same smaller political group constituted within the Swedish Social democratic party - The Swedish Association of Christian Social Democrats (Sveriges kristna socialdemokraters förbund), also known as the "Brotherhood Movement" (Broderskapsrörelsen) – in which Lady “A”, one of the two women behind the accusation against Assange in Sweden, occupied the post of "Political Secretary" since 2009 and was also employed by the Brotherhood [source].
It was in her role as information/press secretary of the Social democratic “Brotherhood Movement” that lady A invited Julian Assange to “lecture” in Sweden, managed all contacts with the media, offered him her own apartment to stay over the visit, etcetera. The ensuing consequences for Julian Assange and his Wikileaks of this invitation instrumented by the "Broderhood" are now well known.
As pointed out in my analysis "The Swedish political crusade against Assange and Wikileaks", the disclosures of Wikileaks had embarrassed the Swedish governments in particular regarding the secret agreements with CIA. And all indicates that future Wikileaks revelations shall continue to embarrass Sweden and in particular current or former Swedish ministers implicated in the CIA rendition flights - as in the case of the conspicuous member of the Brotherhood, the feminist lawyer and social democratic MP Thomas Bordström.
As pointed out in my analysis "The Swedish political crusade against Assange and Wikileaks", the disclosures of Wikileaks had embarrassed the Swedish governments in particular regarding the secret agreements with CIA. And all indicates that future Wikileaks revelations shall continue to embarrass Sweden and in particular current or former Swedish ministers implicated in the CIA rendition flights - as in the case of the conspicuous member of the Brotherhood, the feminist lawyer and social democratic MP Thomas Bordström.
Furthermore, lady A, also a radical feminist, is a confirmed anti-Cuban campaigner ousted from Cuba for her activities, which Cuban official sources have associated with known terrorists and organizations linked to the CIA.
Prime Minister Reinfeldt enjoys in Sweden a well deserved reputation of being an honest politician. At the same time, there were in the recent years a remarkably series of political scandals revealing misconduct from the part of a number of Reinfeldt's ministers or close advisers. It would not be alien to reality to assume that Reindfelt has been mislead to state such preposterous assertion about what is the real praxis in Sweden in regard to extradition to political prisoners requested by the USA.
Needless to mention that the Swedish media - with the exception of Aftonbladet which reported on the event 21/2 2011, here - have not reported a word on the breaking news from AP and other agencies on the London dispatch commented above. This although the main Swedish newspapers vividly report today in their entertainment sections about ”The most dangerous man in the world”- a biography on Julian Assange which in fact has not yet been published!
Marcello Ferrada-Noli 22/01 2011
NBC video of 5/12 2010
Uppdate:
Needless to mention that the Swedish media - with the exception of Aftonbladet which reported on the event 21/2 2011, here - have not reported a word on the breaking news from AP and other agencies on the London dispatch commented above. This although the main Swedish newspapers vividly report today in their entertainment sections about ”The most dangerous man in the world”- a biography on Julian Assange which in fact has not yet been published!
Marcello Ferrada-Noli 22/01 2011
NBC video of 5/12 2010
The perils of an eventual Swedish extradition of Assange to the USA are described here in this interview with Julian Assange, courtesy to Professors blogg by Newsy.com
1 comment:
I think this is a nice article! An accurate but frightening description of the dishonesty of swedish politicians!
Ure describing Reinfeldt as an honest and intelligent politician. I think ure too kind! I think he might be slightly more intelligent htan most politicians. But that doesnt mean much! Very few are truly intelligent! They are mediocre minds really. Just see where this country is coming to! Noone seems to understand whats going on.
U really have to be stupid to be a lier and hypocrite like our politicians. A lie is the weak minds way to handle difficult situations. So u should never respect a lier. Thus Reinfeldt is weak both mentally and morally.
The problem with our politicians is; theyre only responcible for 4 years. Thats their perspective. And the most important thing is being elected. Thats it! Besides that, they dont give a shit! Thats why our country is going downhill, not economically, "only" socially! Theyre selling out our country!
Reinfeldt is weak, even as a politician! Im ashamed of him! I think Göran Persson was a much greater politician! Stronger and smarter! But Palme was best! Since then weve only had a bunch of idiots ruling this country! Even Göran is an idiot in comparison. But im not a socialdemocrat (but used to be).
As u pointed out, our media cant be trusted. Theyre whores! Theyre owned by our politicians, yet expected to scrutinize them. Thats not gonna happen of course! Like a dictatorship!
Sweden is much more corrupt than most of us could imagine! The reality isnt like its supposed to be! The press dont do their job! Theyre just megaphones for the politicians! Like Pravda! If they dont scrutinize the politicians, whos gonna do it? The bloggers? But the press get many millions each year from the tax payers. Yet dont do their job, and censor those who really speaks their mind. I promise u, ill crush any pro-immigraion journalist in any free debate.
Im talking too much! Anyway, liked ur article! Its a consellation uve made many reflections Ive made myself!
We dont share opinions on every issue. Yet we share the most important one, HONESTY! Thats what we need the most from our politicians and the press! If the press isnt honest, the democracy wont function properly! Thats where we stand!
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