All this is predicated on the outlandish idea that the Swedish justice system is planning (or even able) to hand him over to the USA.

They sound justifiably puzzled about it :

Brita Weitman Sundberg, a former head judge at a district court in Solna, a Stockholm suburb, who gave evidence in Assange's appeal against extradition in the UK courts, said she feared Assange's decision to seek refuge in Ecuador was misguided.

"I can understand that Assange is afraid of being sent from Sweden to the US, but I am not sure it will turn out well for him," she said.

"I don't know what his situation would be if he really landed in Ecuador and whether he would be safe. If you think of the policy of the Obama administration to kill whoever the president considers a terrorist whereever they are in the world."

She said there was considerable surprise in Sweden at Assange's move, adding she could not see how Assange could leave the Ecuadorian embassy in London without being arrested by the British authorities.

Borgström said he could not understand Assange's strategy. He said he did not believe the Ecuadorian government would find any basis on which to offer him asylum.

"I think when he leaves the embassy he will be arrested," he said.

_{It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II}