After four years, next week on Wednesday July 16 at 13:00, the court in Stockholm will investigate if Julian Assange should be kept under suspicion for the sexual offenses of which he was accused in August 2010. This means Julian Assange, after the court hearing, could potentially be a free man - at least with respect to Swedish sexual offense law, mind.

Some folks in Stockholm are gathering outside of the court house, and will try to enter the court room and follow the proceedings real-time. Those of us not in Sweden can perhaps not be there in person, but we will also have a gathering outside of the Swedish permrep in the park in front of de Meeûssquare 30 at 12:30 (see directions). There will be light snacks - then we stay until our lunch breaks are over.

For more information on the trial against Julian Assange in Sweden see this infographic.

For a longer account, also check out the film We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks (2013).

What is important to realize is that the Swedish court is not necessarily able to free Assange from suspicions of leaking documents or whistleblowing or such things. It is able to reject or approve the charges against Assange on having committed sexual offences in Sweden. To date, most evidences presented against Assange in the Swedish case seem to rest on the idea that he's simply not a really nice guy - which may well be true, but shouldn't be grounds for four years of legal uncertainty. Let's hope next week the court is able to provide an objective review of the case on its own merits.