Gerry - BBC is your source about everything isn't it?! Surely, you believe everything you see in the news. Julian Assange is an innocent man until he is proven guilty. Jemima Khan, John Pilger and the others are aware of the dirty 'political motivated' case, and trying to help the free expression thing, I would assume. How do you know it is not a political motivated case? After diplomats leaks US and some other countries have got mad at it hence, we'll do by any means to put him in jail.

"The question is: how disgusting is Jemima Khan and the other wretched women openly backing a potential rapist, Julian Assange?"
Do you mean ... how dusgusting 'are' and not 'is'.

What do British people actually KNOW about Sweden? What do they know about the Swedish system of justice? What do they know about the attitude of Swedes towards foreigners who apparently "rape" Swedish women and then brazenly deny any wrongdoing?

Are people aware that, in contast to Britain, Assange, if charged, will not face a jury, but only a judge? So different from UK tradition and practice.

Are they aware that the Anglo-Saxon advosarial system doesn't apply in Sweden, where the emphasis is on inquisiton to get to the 'truth.'

Do people know that if Assange returns to Sweden he will most probably be placed in solitary confinement, as it is used far more routinely than in the UK, as a method to 'soften-up' remand prisoners before their trial?

What do people know about Sweden's complex gender equality politics, which this affair is a part of?

What do people really know?

Of all the people that have been attacked by that moronic woman why does this instance deserve space in the New Statesman?

I wonder if a clue to the answer is the name 'Khan'?

A spiteful harridan with a face that could advertise war.

Forget Jan Moir and the ridiculous Daily Seig Heil, sorry Mail...

The question is: how disgusting is Jemima Khan and the other wretched women openly backing a potential rapist, Julian Assange?

He is accused of serious sex crimes in Sweden, for which he must answer in court...only he and the two women involved know for sure what happened, so how can Jemima and Bianca and Naomi and the rest stand up in public and back him so openly?

Jemima Khan identifies of course with a powerful white man (which he is)and cant seem to identify even a bit with two relatively powerless Swedish women - women like her are the reason why so called left wing and liberal men like Assange- and Polanski - literally get away with anything. Shame on her. Shame on Mehdi.

And more power to the Swedish feminists who have just launched their new campaign to expose sexual crimes against women!

Gerry - The question is: how disgusting ‘are’ Jemima Khan and the other wretched women openly backing a potential rapist, Julian Assange?
Is this [are] what you mean? rather than 'is'. Grammar error!
How do you know he is a potential rapist? The necessary condition is not there, since it is a ‘political motivated’. The Judge does not know it, yet. .
I think the question is whether you understand this case well or not! You have no credible evidence to draw that in your term 'he is potential rapist'.He is an innocent man until he proven guilty. Let's wait the outcome become you reach your judgment.

@ Mehdi
yep these 'polemic' journalists can be a pain in the arse sometimes can't they?
@ Gerry
'and the other wretched women openly backing a potential rapist, Julian Assange'

Huh? Are you serious? Backing a potential rapist? Shurely shome mishtake. Or maybe not. Did you mean someone who has been accused of rape? And don't you feel like waiting until a trial and all the evidence is heard before you condemn the guy? If it ever gets to that stage, which I doubt.