By Jack Doyle, Tim Shipman and Nick Mcdermott PUBLISHED: 17:24 EST, 16 August 2012 | UPDATED: 06:11 EST, 17 August 2012 Refuge: Julian Assange has been granted asylum by Ecuador Britain was locked in a farcical diplomatic stand-off with Ecuador last night after the South American country granted asylum to WikiLeaks fugitive Julian Assange. Assange, who is wanted in Sweden for questioning over sexual assault allegations, has spent nearly two months hiding from the law in the Ecuadorian embassy. Yesterday more than 40 policemen surrounded the building in central London to ensure the Australian could not be smuggled out.
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Julian Assange has hid from law for nearly two months in embassy
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Police operation will cost at least £50,000 a day
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Fears he could be smuggled out in a diplomatic bag
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Ecuadorian foreign minister: Assange could face death penalty if sent to US by Sweden
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William Hague: Asylum was being used ‘for the purposes of escaping the regular processes of the court’
Mr Assange’s supporters fear he could face charges of sedition and espionage over the release of tens of thousands of secret US documents by the @placeholder site two years ago.