Julian Assange wanted in Sweden for alleged rapes

[Simulist]

But the problem was they did not want to file an official report because of their so-called fears of his power.

"You're just afraid of my Guatamalaness... My natural heat."

— Agador, The Birdcage, 1996

[Peachtree Pam]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldne ... ds-newsxml



Supporters dismissed rape accusations against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange... but the two women involved tell a different story

By Angella Johnson
Last updated at 4:08 AM on 29th August 2010


Fling: WikiLeaks founder faced charges of rape and sexual molestation, but they were withdrawn

It is a story as intriguing and confusing as a Stieg Larsson blockbuster: celebrated internet whistleblower becomes embroiled in a complex sex scandal involving two women, not long after he had masterminded one of the biggest intelligence leaks of all time - against the U.S.

That the action takes place in Sweden, Larsson’s home country, and that the protagonist is the flag-waver for freedom of information Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, provides added piquancy.

Assange, 39, was attending a seminar in Stockholm earlier this month when he found himself facing charges of rape and sexual molestation - charges that were then, amid much confusion, withdrawn and which he strenuously denies.

What does not seem to be in dispute is that he had sex with the two women within four days.

The scandal made headlines around the world, forcing the usually strident campaigner to go to ground in Stockholm, claiming it was a smear campaign, possibly initiated by the CIA or the Pentagon.

His supporters pointed out that the allegations came just a few weeks after WikiLeaks became embroiled in a dispute with the Pentagon over its publication of classified war documents, which the U.S. says endangers the lives of its soldiers and their Afghan allies.

The website plans to release more documents.

Sources in Sweden take a different view - they insist it was Assange’s louche behaviour and his chauvinistic attitude that led to the charges.

One of the women claimed in a Swedish newspaper: ‘The responsibility for what happened to me and the other girl lies with a man who has a twisted attitude to women and a problem taking no for an answer.’

Adding to the confusion was the seemingly speedy decision by the Swedish police and prosecution service to charge Assange and issue a warrant for his arrest, even before formal statements had been taken from the women, only to have the rape charge dropped 24 hours later.
Denial: Mr Assange admitted having sex with two women within four days of each other

Denial: Mr Assange admitted having sex with two women within four days of each other

The sexual molestation charge was then reduced to one that is punishable by little more than a slap on the wrist.

As ever when such cases are mired in conflicting claims, the truth can take a long time to surface.

But The Mail on Sunday has managed to obtain copies of the women’s police statements, which are made available to the media in Sweden.

Though heavily redacted, with details of the sex allegations blacked out, they make uncomfortable reading.
Wikileaks

Claims: Woman A

Assange had flown into Stockholm on Wednesday, August 11, where several of the WikiLeaks internet servers are based, to speak at a seminar organised by the Social Demoratic Party, the equivalent of Britain’s Labour Party, three days later.

It has been reported that the Australian lives a nomadic life, but curiously he applied for a visa to work permanently in Sweden soon after his arrival.

Woman A, who works for the Christian branch of the party, was the main organiser but they had never met before.

The attractive twentysomething, described by friends as hardworking and fun-loving, offered to let him stay in her one-bedroom flat in Sodermalm, Stockholm.

She planned to visit her family on the other side of the country and would be away until the Saturday seminar.

But she returned on the Friday, anxious about the amount of work still to do for the seminar.

According to a police source: ‘They had a discussion and decided it would be OK to share the living space, then went out together for dinner.

'When they got back they had sexual relations, but there was a problem with the condom - it had split.

'She seemed to think that he had done this deliberately but he insisted that it was an accident.’

Whatever her views about the incident, she appeared relaxed and untroubled at the seminar the next day where Assange met Woman B, another pretty blonde, also in her 20s, but younger than Woman A.

In her police statement, Woman B described how, in the wake of the Afghanistan leaks, she saw Assange being interviewed on television and became instantly fascinated - some might even say obsessed.

She said she thought him ‘interesting, brave and admirable’.

Over the following two weeks she read everything she could find about him on the internet and followed news reports about his activities.

She discovered that he would be visiting Sweden to give a seminar, so she emailed the organisers to offer her help.

She registered to attend and booked the Saturday off work.

She appears to have dressed to catch his eye, in a shocking-pink cashmere jumper. But, she says, among the grey-suited journalists who filled the room, she felt uncomfortably out of place.

Undeterred, she bagged a seat in the front row and was asked to buy a computer cable for Assange.

No one bothered to thank her, she later complained.

Assange, dressed in grey jeans and a suit jacket, spoke earnestly for 90 minutes on the theme ‘The first victim of war is the truth’.

He could not have failed to notice the attractive blonde taking photographs of him.

What unfolded could be described as akin to the meeting of a groupie and a rockstar. The woman loitered outside the building before approaching a member of his entourage, who invited her to join a lunch at a modest local eatery called Bistro Boheme.

The party consisted of two Social Democrats, a freelance journalist friend of Assange, the man himself and Woman B - who was the only female.
'He has a twisted attitude to women'

One of the men present recalled her as a person of a seemingly nervous disposition who didn’t fit in.

‘She was a little bit strange,’ he said. ‘Definitely an odd character and keen to get Julian’s attention.’

The woman admitted trying to engage her hero in conversation.

Assange seemed pleased to have such an ardent admirer fawning over him and, she said, would look at her ‘now and then’. Eventually he took a closer interest.

She explained in her statement that he was tucking into cheese served on Swedish crispbread when she asked if he thought it was good.

Assange looked at her directly and started to feed her.

His next move was pure computer geek - he told her that he needed a charger for his laptop, and she eagerly offered to help.

Assange smiled, put his arm around her back and said: ‘Ah yes, it was you who gave me a cable.’

They went on a vain search for the charger. She bought him a travel card for the metro because he said he didn’t have any money.

On the train he was recognised by a young man who gushed in admiration about WikiLeaks.

If she felt a thrill from this brush with fame, Woman B doesn’t say.

They ended up at the city’s Natural History Museum, where Assange headed to a computer console and, to the woman’s clear annoyance, twittered about his day.

At 6pm they entered a bijou cinema to watch a short film about the ocean, called Deep Sea. In the darkness Assange became amorous.

At one point they moved to the back row, where it is clear from the woman’s statement that the pair went far beyond kissing and fondling.

After the show, they wandered towards a park. He turned to her and said: ‘You are very attractive ... to me.’

Assange said he had a traditional Swedish crayfish party to attend and needed a power nap, so they lay side by side on the grass and he fell asleep.

She stayed awake and woke him about 20 minutes later. When she asked if they would meet again, he replied: ‘Of course.’

What he did not tell her was that the party was being hosted by the woman he had slept with two nights before and whose bed he would probably be sleeping in that night.

By the time she had arrived home, 46 miles outside Stockholm, and charged her mobile phone, there was a message from Assange asking her to call.

He was still at the party.

The next day Woman B tried to call him but his phone was turned off. She eventually spoke to him on the Monday when he agreed to meet her in the evening and suggested they spend the night at her flat.

She wanted to go to a hotel, but he said he would like to see her home.

Again she bought his £10 train ticket because he had no cash and said he didn’t want to use his credit card in case his movement was being tracked.

He spent most of the 45-minute journey surfing the internet on his laptop, reading stories about himself and twittering or texting on his mobile phone.

‘He paid more attention to the computer than to me,’ she said bitterly.

It was dark by the time they arrived in her suburb and the atmosphere between them had cooled.

‘The passion and attraction seemed to have disappeared,’ she said.

Most of what then followed has been blacked out in her statement, except for: ‘It felt boring and like an everyday thing.’

One source close to the investigation said the woman had insisted he wear a condom, but the following morning he made love to her without one.
'The passion seemed to have disappeared'


This was the basis for the rape charge. But after the event she seemed unruffled enough to go out to buy food for his breakfast.

Her only concern was about leaving him alone in her flat. ‘I didn’t feel I knew him very well,’ she explained.

They ate in an atmosphere that was tense, though she said in her statement that she tried to lighten the mood by joking about the possibility that she might be pregnant.

They parted on friendly terms and she bought his train ticket back to Stockholm. When she asked if he would call, he said: ‘Yes, I will.’

But he did not and neither did he answer her calls.

The drama took a bizarre and ultimately sensational turn after she called the office of Woman A, whom she had briefly met at the seminar.

The two women talked and realised to their horror and anger that they had both been victims of his charm.

The issue of unprotected sex left a fear of disease. It is believed that they both asked him to take a test for STDs and he refused.

Woman B was especially anxious about the possibility of HIV and pregnancy.

And it was in this febrile state that the women, who barely knew each other, walked into a police station and began to tell their stories.

Woman A said afterwards that she had not wanted to press charges but had gone to support the younger woman, who wanted police advice on how to get Assange to take a medical test.

In any event, the police woman at the reception and two male officers, one from the sex crimes unit, believed there was enough evidence to call the female duty prosecutor, who issued the warrants.

The story was leaked to a Swedish tabloid and Assange’s high profile led to the case being taken over by a senior female prosecutor who, after reading the statements, concluded there was no evidence of rape.

She agreed to the sexual molestation charge related to the first woman, but even that was watered down last week. Some legal observers now believe that will also disappear.

Claes Borgstrom, the lawyer representing the women, said they were upset about the way the case had been handled.

‘This case is a regressive sign for women that it’s not worth reporting when something like this happens,’ she said.

‘I was struck by the senior prosecutor’s statement that it’s not that she didn’t believe it but that she didn’t feel it was a crime.

'That’s why I’m going to a higher prosecutor to demand that the case is reopened.’

Assange’s lawyer Leif Silbersky said yesterday that he was unable to comment about the case until Tuesday.

It is expected that the Swedish prosecution service will issue a statement about the case then.

Whatever the outcome, one thing is certain – Assange’s attempts to portray himself as an online saint, exposing the secrets of the superpowers, has been dealt a damaging blow.

---------

The two women talked and realised to their horror and anger that they had both been victims of his charm.

Two Swedish women "horrified" that they were victims of his charm???? Give me a break.

[DoYouEverWonder]

Woman B "said in her statement that she tried to lighten the mood by joking about the possibility that she might be pregnant."

Ah, woman B has got a real sick sense of humor.

However, in both cases the sex was clearly consensual. If you don't want to have sex with someone, don't invite them for sleep overs or to share your bed.

[Peachtree Pam]

New York Post going after Assange through FB and twitter comments made by Assange's son, Daniel.


http://www.mediaite.com/online/new-york ... -accounts/



New York Post Attacks Julian Assange With Son’s Facebook, Twitter Accounts
[b]
by Frances Martel | 2:01 pm, August 28th, 2010

There’s a certain hierarchy to the grand scheme of crimes against celebrity children. There’s calling Sasha Obama a “style icon” at the ripe old age of nine. Then, a step or two higher, is making fun of Trig Palin. And then there’s this: finding Daniel Assange’s Facebook account (that’s Julian’s son) and using something he posted on his friend’s Facebook wall to corroborate the molestation claims made against the Wikileaks founder earlier this week.

The New York Post seems to have done extensive social networking research to find anything the younger Assange has written that could be deemed to refer to his father, coming up with this gem. Citing various “Twitter posts”– real journalists can’t call them “tweets,” apparently– and a few out of context “Facebook postings” (they’re actually one-liner comments on someone else’s wall), the Post has concluded that the young Assange fears for any women that dare approach his father.

The first line of the article reads, “WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s own son thinks he’s a nightmare when it comes to women.” It goes downhill from there. The evidence is a series of comments related to the confusing, on-again/off-again “sexual molestation” charges against Julian Assange, things like “that man does have a way of making a lot of female enemies” and “interesting to see whether this is the result of a government plot or personal grudges.” The article also notes that “in a Twitter post, Daniel has called his dad ‘a criminal mastermind with a political vision’” and that “he describes himself as ‘estranged’” from his father. The authors note that Assange declined to comment.

This article seems to have come as a surprise to the subject of the piece, who later did comment on the article– in the “comments” section, like any other reader:

"My comments were very much tongue-in-cheek and not intended as serious character assessment (nor indeed to be made public in this manner). I have a great deal of respect for my father and his work, and no doubt that the accusations against him have no basis in reality. This is another piece of sensationalistic idiocy from the NYP.

Also, here’s a hint: If you want to look credible, do try to get your basic facts straight. I’m twenty, not twenty-one, and haven’t been a UoM student since the end of last year."

He also described the work as “godawful sensationalistic tripe” and clarified on his blog that, as to him declining to comment: “The NYP did not interview me or otherwise attain my consent in any way for their publication.” As for the extremely serious personal critiques the Post cited via Twitter where Daniel expands on his “estranged” relationship with his “criminal mastermind” father, they actually all amount to one tweet: “Father’s Day spam makes me laugh. ‘Consider this hair product for /your/ estranged criminal mastermind with a political vision!’” I would’ve picked out the punchline to be “hair product,” given that, well, you know. But the Post seemed to find the last part of that far more interesting.

Part of this negligent journalism is excusable. Increasingly, American political media personalities have blurred the line between serious policy blog and frivolous social networking tool by taking extra special care of their Facebook accounts, turning them into a political soapbox more than a private procrastination tool. If the Facebook pages of the government of North Korea and George W. Bush are fair game, who is to determine what else on the site isn’t? And in that sense the evolution of social media is far outpacing that of the cultural understanding and significance of these technologies, especially in bastions of print media like the Post.

Then there’s the fact that, before this molestation scandal broke, there was very little inquiry into Assange the elder’s private life. It was unclear who he was or where he hailed from, his background mostly based on the suspicion that he was one of the hackers named in a book using aliases nearly exclusively. That he was charged with rape– even if only for a few hours– reminded the media that he was a human being dedicated to exposing others but suffering little exposure at their hands in return.

But Julian is not Daniel, nor should healthy journalistic curiosity about the former extend to the latter when he does not invite it. There is no indication that Daniel Assange has any interest in addressing a mass audience. Unlike, say, the government of DPRK or an individual like Sarah Palin, what he produces on Facebook is clearly not meant for mass consumption. What’s more, in the realm of celebrity children, this one is about as willfully anonymous as they get.

Daniel Assange has not behaved in any way that would make an invasion of privacy of this scale appropriate. He’s not writing a tell-all book or giving out what would likely be fascinating one-on-one interviews; he’s not dancing alongside Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino anytime soon. There is no indication that the younger Assange has tried to capitalize on his father’s fame in any way, shape, or form, and a reasonable amount of evidence (on his blog and his Twitter account, both of which the Post thoroughly investigated, apparently) that he’d really rather be left out of this mess. That’s not to say that reaching out for comment is inappropriate; the younger Assange is no longer a minor and, by all indication, educated enough to give answers should he choose to. In fact, it would be improper journalism not to ask for comment. But when a subject who has, through no fault of their own, attracted the spotlight shuns it away, perhaps it’s best to stay on topic and respect that individual’s desire for privacy.

[anothershamus]

Sounds like a CIA 'Honeypot' setup. Get a good looking person of the preferred gender, get them in the same room with similar interests and set the sex trap.

Classic.

I didn't read the second one but I imagine it's similar, and if you do two back to back like that, you can set up a promiscuity character flaw as well.

Classic.

[crikkett]

there was a problem with the condom - it had split.

Wikileaks indeed!

The two women talked and realised to their horror and anger that they had both been victims of his charm.

Two Swedish women "horrified" that they were victims of his charm???? Give me a break.

PeachTree, maybe there's an error in translation. I think 'disgusted' could be closer to the truth, after they spent time and money on him only to learn that they were victims of their own expectations. Especially Ms. Hot Pink Cashmere, who threw herself at him.

I don't think this is a honeypot scandal. This is a typical story of a pathetic cad mismanaging his trade-show scampers with a couple of 20-somethings. Those girls got him back for screwing them over, and if Ms. Cashmere became pregnant she's not ever going away.

I think that what Julian needs more than a defense is a rubber drive. That bad boy needs some decent condoms, and evidently, lots of them.

[anothershamus]

Just to clarify my own personal ethics:

No means No!

If it's not consensual then it's not happening.

And if Julian did not take NO as an answer then he can hang.

[Fixx]

Sweden reopens Wikileaks founder rape investigation.

A senior Swedish prosecutor has ordered the reopening of a rape investigation into Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

Public Prosecutions Director Marianne Ny said there was "reason to believe a crime has been committed" and the crime was classified as rape.

Last week prosecutors cancelled an arrest warrant for Mr Assange on accusations of rape and molestation, saying he was no longer suspected.

Mr Assange denies any wrongdoing saying the accusations are "without basis".

When the allegations first emerged, he said their appearance at a time when Wikileaks had been criticised for leaking Afghan war documents was "deeply disturbing".

In July, Wikileaks published more than 75,000 secret US military documents on the war in Afghanistan.

US authorities criticised the leak, saying it could put the lives of coalition soldiers and Afghans, especially informers, at risk.

The decision to reopen the case follows an appeal by a Swedish woman who has accused Mr Assange of raping her.

BBC

[DoYouEverWonder]

Sweden reopens Wikileaks founder rape investigation.

A senior Swedish prosecutor has ordered the reopening of a rape investigation into Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

Public Prosecutions Director Marianne Ny said there was "reason to believe a crime has been committed" and the crime was classified as rape.

Last week prosecutors cancelled an arrest warrant for Mr Assange on accusations of rape and molestation, saying he was no longer suspected.

Mr Assange denies any wrongdoing saying the accusations are "without basis".

When the allegations first emerged, he said their appearance at a time when Wikileaks had been criticised for leaking Afghan war documents was "deeply disturbing".

In July, Wikileaks published more than 75,000 secret US military documents on the war in Afghanistan.

US authorities criticised the leak, saying it could put the lives of coalition soldiers and Afghans, especially informers, at risk.

The decision to reopen the case follows an appeal by a Swedish woman who has accused Mr Assange of raping her.

BBC

Let me guess, this is coming from the woman that stalked him?

[Peachtree Pam]

A bit more detail:


Sweden to reopen rape probe of WikiLeaks founder


STOCKHOLM (AFP) – A top Swedish prosecutor said Wednesday she would reopen a rape investigation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, overturning a previous ruling to quash a probe of the Australian.

"There is reason to believe that a crime has been committed. Considering information available at present, my judgement is that the classification of the crime is rape," director of prosecutions Marianne Ny said in a statement.

"The basis for further considerations is not sufficient at the moment. More investigations are necessary before a final decision can be made (concerning possible charges)," she added.

A Swedish duty prosecutor issued an arrest warrant for Assange on August 20 over rape allegations. But chief prosecutor Eva Finne abruptly withdrew it the next day, saying new information had come to light.

Then last week Finne said there was no reason to believe a crime had been committed, adding however that she had enough evidence to keep looking into a molestation allegation from another woman against Assange.
Story continues below...

The lawyer for Assange's alleged victims, Claes Borgstroem, lodged an appeal against Finne's decision to a special department in the public prosecutions office.

Assange, 39, has said the allegations against him are part of a "smear campaign" aimed at discrediting his whistleblowing website, which is locked in a row with the Pentagon over the release of secret US documents about the war in Afghanistan.

Ny, head of the department that oversees prosecution of sex crimes in particular, overturned Finne's decision on the rape claim, and also said the investigation into the molestation claim would be extended.

"Based on the information available, the crimes in question come under the heading of sexual coercion and sexual molestation," she said.

Ny told AFP that overturning another prosecutor's decision was "not an ordinary (procedure), but not so out of the ordinary either."

"In this investigation, I have decided it should continue and we will decide on measures, including interrogations" of the suspect, she said, refusing to provide more details.

She would not say when or if an arrest warrant for Assange would be issued.

"He is a suspect," she reiterated.

Assange was already questioned by police late Monday in connection with the molestation claim.

His lawyer, Leif Silbersky, who is one of Sweden's top defence attorneys, had told AFP the interrogation went "very well" and that he expected the prosecutor to "drop the whole thing."

On Wednesday, he told the TT news agency however that "nothing in this matter surprises me anymore."

"Two prosecutors want to inform (Assange) that he is suspected of rape and the third not at all," he said.

"I am showered with phone calls from media from around the world and they don't understand anything at all and I hardly do either," he added.

Borgstroem, the alleged victims' lawyer, meanwhile said, "I am very happy that the preliminary investigation has been reopened and that basically my request has been granted."

WikiLeaks published nearly 77,000 classified US military documents on the war in Afghanistan on July 23, and intends to publish another 15,000 imminently.

[DoYouEverWonder]

If the 'victim' wants to press the matter, there's not much the authorities can do except to investigate her claims.

[Joe Hillshoist]

As the saying goes, Assange has made his bed and now he has to lie in it. Assange is the poster boy for today’s unthinking, whistleblowing brand of newsmaking, which is currently what passes for investigative reporting. Now, the tabloid that was tipped off about Assange’s arrest warrant is gloating – in true Wikileaks style – about the fact that it is being mentioned in news outlets around the world. Never mind the story itself, the fact that there is a global fuss about this has become the story, as Marshall McLuhan would no doubt observe.

...

So we’re expected to believe that American intelligence enlisted Ardin, known as a radical feminist and animal-rights activist, as a honey trap, instructing her to file a rape claim so flimsy that the prosecutor had to retract it within hours. The probable truth looks a lot more prosaic. More likely, this was a sexual romp gone wrong, and a case of two women, as well as the police force, applying a wide interpretation of what constitutes sexual assault.

....

For all the blog-based claims that Assange is being morally throttled by behind-the-scenes, Pentagon-paid rape accusers, the truth is that Wikileaks is not really a great enemy of the American state. It is more like an embarrassment to the state, exposing Washington’s already-existing internal disarray for all to see. The US government suffers from intelligence incontinence these days, with secret files leaked from within, generals spilling their guts, and disgruntled soldiers giving media interviews on a regular basis. Wikileaks has merely exploited this state of affairs by playing the role of willing communicator of elite disgruntlement, and the media, instead of investigating the truth for themselves, welcome piles of documents as some sort of great revelation without bothering to analyse them or to organise them into a coherent story. Assange is not the rebel he imagines he is – he is more a parasite on a decaying American government.

It looks like the truth of this sordid case is that Assange, rather than being a Pentagon-pursued truth warrior, is simply a victim of the kind of whistleblowing and scoop-chasing that he himself has helped to promote.

http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/ ... icle/9476/

[Penguin]

There are benefits to not messing around with wo/men you barely know...
Besides STDs too.

[Dradin Kastell]

[snip]
The lawyer for Assange's alleged victims, Claes Borgstroem, lodged an appeal against Finne's decision to a special department in the public prosecutions office.

[snip]

Borgstroem, the alleged victims' lawyer, meanwhile said, "I am very happy that the preliminary investigation has been reopened and that basically my request has been granted."
[snip]

Claes Borgström is a very high-profile lawyer in Sweden, a Social Democratic politician. In between 2000 and 2007 he was the Equal Opportunies Ombudsman. In 2007 he retired from his post to set up a new law firm, Borgström&Bodström with a Mr. Thomas Bodström, the former Swedish Minister of Justice, also SDP.

Here is the kicker: Thomas Bodström is the man in Sweden most connected with state efforts against the freedom of data on the internet. He was a strong supporter of the EU Data Retention Directive and in 2006 presided over the closing of Pirate Bay, as demanded by the US interests. According to Wikipedia,

"During his term in office, Bodström has been heavily criticized by advocates of privacy and liberal think-tanks[2] as he is said to have worked towards giving the police the possibility of monitoring people that might be involved in minor crimes, as well as other things that can be seen as intrusive to privacy." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Bodstrom

In fact, in Swedish the term "Bodströmsamhälle" (coined by Pirate Party activist Oscar Swartz) is synonymous with "Big Brother Society".

After Bodström's tenure as the Minister of Justice, 2000-2006, Sweden passed in 2008 the notorious FRA Law, which "authorizes the state to warrantlessly wiretap all telephone and Internet traffic that crosses Sweden's borders." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FRA_law

Funny how these things work out, eh?

[Peachtree Pam]

[snip]
The lawyer for Assange's alleged victims, Claes Borgstroem, lodged an appeal against Finne's decision to a special department in the public prosecutions office.

[snip]

Borgstroem, the alleged victims' lawyer, meanwhile said, "I am very happy that the preliminary investigation has been reopened and that basically my request has been granted."
[snip]

Claes Borgström is a very high-profile lawyer in Sweden, a Social Democratic politician. In between 2000 and 2007 he was the Equal Opportunies Ombudsman. In 2007 he retired from his post to set up a new law firm, Borgström&Bodström with a Mr. Thomas Bodström, the former Swedish Minister of Justice, also SDP.

Here is the kicker: Thomas Bodström is the man in Sweden most connected with state efforts against the freedom of data on the internet. He was a strong supporter of the EU Data Retention Directive and in 2006 presided over the closing of Pirate Bay, as demanded by the US interests. According to Wikipedia,

"During his term in office, Bodström has been heavily criticized by advocates of privacy and liberal think-tanks[2] as he is said to have worked towards giving the police the possibility of monitoring people that might be involved in minor crimes, as well as other things that can be seen as intrusive to privacy." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Bodstrom

In fact, in Swedish the term "Bodströmsamhälle" (coined by Pirate Party activist Oscar Swartz) is synonymous with "Big Brother Society".

After Bodström's tenure as the Minister of Justice, 2000-2006, Sweden passed in 2008 the notorious FRA Law, which "authorizes the state to warrantlessly wiretap all telephone and Internet traffic that crosses Sweden's borders." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FRA_law

Funny how these things work out, eh?

OK, I think things are beginning to be a bit clearer now. Some punishment is in order for trying to expose American crimes.