What really happened during Julian Assanges visit to Sweden earlier this year? Here is a timeline including excerpts of case testimony and information currently in the posession of swedish tabloid Aftonbladet.
With that information in hand it is not very hard to construct a pretty precise timeline covering Julian Assanges visit in Sweden earlier this year.
2010-08-11 (Wednesday)
Julian Assange arrives in Stockholm. He is invited by Anna Ardin (Woman A) of the Brotherhood Movement, an adjunct of the Social Democrat Party. Ardin is to be out of town for a few days and lets Assange stay at her flat on Tjurbergsgatan on Södermalm in Stockholm. Assange uses much of his time to meet with journalists and organisations. He has dinner with friends and a US journalist who wants to talk about his new book on the Bush clan.
With that information in hand it is not very hard to construct a pretty precise timeline covering Julian Assanges visit in Sweden earlier this year.
2010-08-11 (Wednesday)
Julian Assange arrives in Stockholm. He is invited by Anna Ardin (Woman A) of the Brotherhood Movement, an adjunct of the Social Democrat Party. Ardin is to be out of town for a few days and lets Assange stay at her flat on Tjurbergsgatan on Södermalm in Stockholm. Assange uses much of his time to meet with journalists and organisations. He has dinner with friends and a US journalist who wants to talk about his new book on the Bush clan.
Sofia Wilén
Sofia Wilén (woman B) contacts the socialdemocratparty Brotherhood Movement on or shortly after 11 August to get a ticket to the Assange event. Admission is 'prio press' as Ardin posts on Twitter. Wilén is professedly a photographer and gets a ticket. She lives outside Stockholm (in Enköping) but claims to be a national government employee.
2010-08-13 (Friday)
Ardin was to return to Stockholm first on Saturday 14 August but gets back early, already on Friday afternoon.
'He was there when I came home', Ardin tells the police. 'We talked a bit and agreed he could continue to stay there.'
Ardin and Assange go to a local eatery for dinner, then return to the flat and have sex. They use a condom but the condom is found to be broken afterwards.
2010-08-14 (Saturday).
Wilén attends the event arranged by Ardin, sits in the front row with her camera and takes pictures of Assange, hangs about afterwards, introduces herself to Assange, gets an invite to a lunch with the entourage at a 'bistro' a few blocks away, she and Assange see a short movie in a local cinema afterwards, then part.
Assange attends a crayfish party in Ardin's courtyard where two members of Sweden's Pirate Party (likely Falkvinge and Troberg) and are also present.
2010-08-15 (Sunday). Assange, Falkvinge, and Troberg meet in the old town for a photo shoot concerning Sweden's Pirate Party offering server support to WikiLeaks.
2010-08-13 (Friday)
Ardin was to return to Stockholm first on Saturday 14 August but gets back early, already on Friday afternoon.
'He was there when I came home', Ardin tells the police. 'We talked a bit and agreed he could continue to stay there.'
Ardin and Assange go to a local eatery for dinner, then return to the flat and have sex. They use a condom but the condom is found to be broken afterwards.
2010-08-14 (Saturday).
Wilén attends the event arranged by Ardin, sits in the front row with her camera and takes pictures of Assange, hangs about afterwards, introduces herself to Assange, gets an invite to a lunch with the entourage at a 'bistro' a few blocks away, she and Assange see a short movie in a local cinema afterwards, then part.
Assange attends a crayfish party in Ardin's courtyard where two members of Sweden's Pirate Party (likely Falkvinge and Troberg) and are also present.
2010-08-15 (Sunday). Assange, Falkvinge, and Troberg meet in the old town for a photo shoot concerning Sweden's Pirate Party offering server support to WikiLeaks.
Falkvinge Assange Troberg
Wilén calls Assange but his telephone is turned off. She starts telling her work colleagues about her meet with Assange.
'They told me he must feel like I dumped him, so the ball's in my court if I want see him again', Wilén tells the police.
2010-08-16 (Monday).
Wilén rings Assange again and this time he picks up. He tells her he's going to a meeting in the evening but should be able to connect with her about 20:30. Wilén wanders about in the city, eats some sushi, rings Assange back at 21:00 when he hasn't yet turned up. Assange picks up.
'He said he was in Hornsgatan and the meeting had just ended. He asked me to come and meet him, which I did.'
Wilén and Assange walk to the old town, sit down at Munkbron, talk a while, then take the train to her home in Enköping. Wilén pays for Assange's ticket (SEK107/$10).
'They told me he must feel like I dumped him, so the ball's in my court if I want see him again', Wilén tells the police.
2010-08-16 (Monday).
Wilén rings Assange again and this time he picks up. He tells her he's going to a meeting in the evening but should be able to connect with her about 20:30. Wilén wanders about in the city, eats some sushi, rings Assange back at 21:00 when he hasn't yet turned up. Assange picks up.
'He said he was in Hornsgatan and the meeting had just ended. He asked me to come and meet him, which I did.'
Wilén and Assange walk to the old town, sit down at Munkbron, talk a while, then take the train to her home in Enköping. Wilén pays for Assange's ticket (SEK107/$10).
Wilén and Assange have sex that evening with a condom. They have sex again in the following morning but without a condom. After sex in the morning, Wilén goes out and buys, then cooks breakfast - oatmeal and juice. They joke about her possibly being pregnant.
'I was being sarcastic to defuse the situation.'
Wilén and Assange ride together on her bike to the train station. Assange returns to Stockholm alone. Wilén asks Assange if he'll ring her. He says he will.
Assange is to meet Agneta Lindblom Hulthén of the Swedish journalists association at 12:00 noon but doesn't turn up until 16:00. One of his colleagues who'd been at the meeting the previous evening and who'd seen Wilén arrive at Hornsgatan starts looking for him. He tries to reach Wilén as he suspected they'd spent the night together. He rings Assange but Assange doesn't answer.
2010-08-18 (Wednesday)
Wilén calls Ardin and tells her she's had unprotected sex with Assange. She says she's upset he didn't use a condom and is afraid she might have contracted an STD or become pregnant. Ardin admits she too had had sex with Assange. Ardin rings an acquaintance of Assange's after the conversation with Wilén to convey the message to Assange that she wants him to move his things out of her flat.
2010-08-19 (Thursday)
Ardin sends an SMS message to the same acquaintance of Assange's, saying he still hadn't moved his things out.
010-08-20 (Friday)
Assange moves his things out of Ardin's flat. He claims it's first on Friday he hears of her request.
Wilén and Ardin arrive at the Klara police station at 14:00. Wilén wants to file charges of rape; Ardin tags along to be of help.
'I was being sarcastic to defuse the situation.'
Wilén and Assange ride together on her bike to the train station. Assange returns to Stockholm alone. Wilén asks Assange if he'll ring her. He says he will.
Assange is to meet Agneta Lindblom Hulthén of the Swedish journalists association at 12:00 noon but doesn't turn up until 16:00. One of his colleagues who'd been at the meeting the previous evening and who'd seen Wilén arrive at Hornsgatan starts looking for him. He tries to reach Wilén as he suspected they'd spent the night together. He rings Assange but Assange doesn't answer.
2010-08-18 (Wednesday)
Wilén calls Ardin and tells her she's had unprotected sex with Assange. She says she's upset he didn't use a condom and is afraid she might have contracted an STD or become pregnant. Ardin admits she too had had sex with Assange. Ardin rings an acquaintance of Assange's after the conversation with Wilén to convey the message to Assange that she wants him to move his things out of her flat.
2010-08-19 (Thursday)
Ardin sends an SMS message to the same acquaintance of Assange's, saying he still hadn't moved his things out.
010-08-20 (Friday)
Assange moves his things out of Ardin's flat. He claims it's first on Friday he hears of her request.
Wilén and Ardin arrive at the Klara police station at 14:00. Wilén wants to file charges of rape; Ardin tags along to be of help.
They talk to a female police officer who concludes they're both victims of sex crimes and decides to interrogate them separately. Of Wilén the female police officer writes the following in the report.
'She said she'd been raped in her home on the morning of Tuesday 17 August by a man who had sex with her against her wishes.'
The female police officer ends her report with the following.
'Everyone I spoke to was in earnest agreement that this was a case of rape.'
Ardin, who only came along to help Wilén, tells the policewoman she also had sex with Ardin. She tells the policewoman the condom broke during sex and now accuses Assange of deliberately breaking it. The police conduct their interrogation of Ardin the following day on the phone.
The police send out a posse to Stureplan to visit upscale nightclubs in search of Assange. He is not to be found.
(Assange later tells friends about the broken condom but dismisses the idea it broke deliberately. He also insists he in no way raped the other woman either - it was consensual unprotected sex.)
'She said she'd been raped in her home on the morning of Tuesday 17 August by a man who had sex with her against her wishes.'
The female police officer ends her report with the following.
'Everyone I spoke to was in earnest agreement that this was a case of rape.'
Ardin, who only came along to help Wilén, tells the policewoman she also had sex with Ardin. She tells the policewoman the condom broke during sex and now accuses Assange of deliberately breaking it. The police conduct their interrogation of Ardin the following day on the phone.
The police send out a posse to Stureplan to visit upscale nightclubs in search of Assange. He is not to be found.
(Assange later tells friends about the broken condom but dismisses the idea it broke deliberately. He also insists he in no way raped the other woman either - it was consensual unprotected sex.)
Maria Kjellstrand
(Niklas Svensson of Expressen gets wind of the story, (through Ardin and Wilén), races back to Stockholm from Harpsund, he or someone else in his office rings up prosecutor on duty Maria Kjellstrand who corroborates the details, the charges, and the identities involved.)
2010-08-21 (Saturday). Svensson's story hits Expressen online 05:00. A few hours later the other Swedish news sites have the story and soon it's all over the globe.
The police are tipped off that Assange is staying at a hotel in Stockholm but he's already checked out by the time they arrive.
Chief prosecutor Eva Finné decides to take over the case and has the files sent to her summer cottage by messenger. She reviews the documents and immediately rescinds the arrest warrant. She adds the following to her decision.
'If the suspect turns up then tell him he's suspected of molestation X 2.'
2010-08-21 (Saturday). Svensson's story hits Expressen online 05:00. A few hours later the other Swedish news sites have the story and soon it's all over the globe.
The police are tipped off that Assange is staying at a hotel in Stockholm but he's already checked out by the time they arrive.
Chief prosecutor Eva Finné decides to take over the case and has the files sent to her summer cottage by messenger. She reviews the documents and immediately rescinds the arrest warrant. She adds the following to her decision.
'If the suspect turns up then tell him he's suspected of molestation X 2.'
The infamous Al Jazeera interview
2010-08-22 (Sunday). Swedish procecutor Karin Rosander is interviewed by Al Jazeera and manages to make a mockery of herself and the whole swedish justice system to a stupefied reporter and studio crew.
Chifprocecutor Eva Finné is rumoured to be highly critical of the initial arrest warrant.
Wilén and Ardin contact lawyer and socialdemocrat politician Claes Borgström in the evening and he agrees to take the case. Borgström is among other things know as the lawyer who silently let his former client Thomas Quick aka "Sätermannen" get innocently convicted of 8 murders
2010-08-23 (Monday). Assange retains Leif Silbersky as counsel and Silbersky immediately poses a rather obvious question.
'Why did the prosecutor corroborate all that confidential information to the media?'
The question is considered obvious because such behaviour is neither normal, acceptable, nor prudent - particularly when the arrest is 'in absentia'. Announcing such an arrest only gives the suspect a chance to flee.
The swedish prosecutor's office refuse to this day to answer this question.
Chifprocecutor Eva Finné is rumoured to be highly critical of the initial arrest warrant.
Wilén and Ardin contact lawyer and socialdemocrat politician Claes Borgström in the evening and he agrees to take the case. Borgström is among other things know as the lawyer who silently let his former client Thomas Quick aka "Sätermannen" get innocently convicted of 8 murders
2010-08-23 (Monday). Assange retains Leif Silbersky as counsel and Silbersky immediately poses a rather obvious question.
'Why did the prosecutor corroborate all that confidential information to the media?'
The question is considered obvious because such behaviour is neither normal, acceptable, nor prudent - particularly when the arrest is 'in absentia'. Announcing such an arrest only gives the suspect a chance to flee.
The swedish prosecutor's office refuse to this day to answer this question.
Chief procecutor Eva Finné
2010-08-25 (Wednesday). A Google search for 'Assange rape' yields 1.2 million hits.
Finné clarifies that she doesn't mean she doesn't believe the women's stories, only that there is nothing criminal in them.
Claes Borgström, based on the same evidence, insists there is something criminal and that it was outright rape in both cases, and demands the case be reviewed by a prosecutor at "utvecklingsenheten". That is a department within the prosecutors office where you can appeal desicions made by the original procecutor.
The case will eventually land on the desk of procecutor Marianne Ny, special procecutor in charge of cases regarding rape and sexcrimes at the procecution appeal office in Gothenburg. Ny is the one that eventually puts out yet another arrest warrant for Julian Assange. Accusing him yet again for rape. More about Marianne Ny and her work to instate the dicriminating swedish laws on "womans peace" here (in swedish).
Borgström is given an advance copy of the Aftonbladet article and replies with the following.
'I want to stress that there are significant details missing in this report, details I base my accusations of rape on, but I am prevented from revealing what these details are.'
Finné clarifies that she doesn't mean she doesn't believe the women's stories, only that there is nothing criminal in them.
Claes Borgström, based on the same evidence, insists there is something criminal and that it was outright rape in both cases, and demands the case be reviewed by a prosecutor at "utvecklingsenheten". That is a department within the prosecutors office where you can appeal desicions made by the original procecutor.
The case will eventually land on the desk of procecutor Marianne Ny, special procecutor in charge of cases regarding rape and sexcrimes at the procecution appeal office in Gothenburg. Ny is the one that eventually puts out yet another arrest warrant for Julian Assange. Accusing him yet again for rape. More about Marianne Ny and her work to instate the dicriminating swedish laws on "womans peace" here (in swedish).
Borgström is given an advance copy of the Aftonbladet article and replies with the following.
'I want to stress that there are significant details missing in this report, details I base my accusations of rape on, but I am prevented from revealing what these details are.'
Claes Borgström, feminist equality fighter
Aftonbladet's reporters suggest to Borgström that it's in his clients' best interests to reveal the 'significant details'. Borgström replies with the following.
'It would hurt the investigation to make the information public at this stage. It's my opinion [Finné] was in error. I believe Assange will be charged with having commited sex crimes.'
Aftonbladet's reporters tell Borgström they wonder how this can be if Ardin insists she's not been raped? Borgström replies with the following statement:
'My client [Ardin] is not a lawyer.'
2010-08-30 (Monday). Assange meets with the police at 17:45. His solicitor Leif Silbersky is simultaneously involved in the 'helicopter robbery' case and can't make it earlier. Assange is told he is suspected of deliberately breaking a condom and denies this is so. He adds that he'll be staying in Sweden to fight the accusations and has no intention of fleeing the country.
Assange also demands guarantees details of the case will not again be leaked to the media - particularly Expressen.
2010-08-31 (Tuesday). Details of the interview the police guaranteed would not be leaked turn up in Expressen.
'It would hurt the investigation to make the information public at this stage. It's my opinion [Finné] was in error. I believe Assange will be charged with having commited sex crimes.'
Aftonbladet's reporters tell Borgström they wonder how this can be if Ardin insists she's not been raped? Borgström replies with the following statement:
'My client [Ardin] is not a lawyer.'
2010-08-30 (Monday). Assange meets with the police at 17:45. His solicitor Leif Silbersky is simultaneously involved in the 'helicopter robbery' case and can't make it earlier. Assange is told he is suspected of deliberately breaking a condom and denies this is so. He adds that he'll be staying in Sweden to fight the accusations and has no intention of fleeing the country.
Assange also demands guarantees details of the case will not again be leaked to the media - particularly Expressen.
2010-08-31 (Tuesday). Details of the interview the police guaranteed would not be leaked turn up in Expressen.
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