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As I understand your piece, you are arguing that the IBA should "no platform" Assange - effectively because you do not agree with his interpretation of "the rule of law". Did I miss the Daily Mail taking over the Gazette?

Assange sought asylum pursuant to Ecuador's "rule of law" to avoid his - many would say contrary to "the rule of law" - potential extradition to the USA from Sweden, not under an arrest warrant issued pursuant to "the rule of law" but for questioning.

The "rule of law", under which Sweden sought his extradition "for questioning" (after he had previously been questioned and released) by way of a European arrest warrant, has since been repealed. This was due to public disquiet with extraditing someone "FOR QUESTIONING" from a country where "the rule of law" provides a suspect with a right of silence and the presumption of innocence, to a country where "the rule of law" would require him to answer questions and deem him guilty until found innocent.

Your own words could well describe "the rule of law" that permitted a suspect with a right of silence to be extradited by an unaccountable bureaucracy "for questioning": "the crucial difference with the rule of law being that, regarding their own decisions, there is no democracy, no transparency, no accountability, and no regard to the wishes of citizens."

Even worse, the potential Swedish charges against Assange, and Sweden's request for his extradition, have since been dropped. [You might think that Sweden's sudden volte face is not unconnected with the Swedish government's very public disagreement with President Trump over his comments on Sweden's application of "the rule of law" in their own country - but I couldn't possibly comment.]

In practice, Assange's remaining claim to asylum is against the UK because they refuse to drop the pending charge against him of failing to surrender to bail - but for which he would be free to leave the Ecuadorian embassy and fly to Ecuador.

I would have expected you to argue that Assange would be an ideal speaker at the IBA conference as his continued enforced presence in London could be said to highlight major problems with "the rule of law" and "arrest by democratic countries". But, apparently, you pays your money and you picks your laws!

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