He's free to answer charges in Sweden. Nobody's keeping him locked up.

First, he hasn't been charged. Second, he faces the threat of extradition and execution if he answers the call to be questioned on Swedish soil. Third, the UK has spent millions each year to make sure he doesn't get away.

>he faces the threat of extradition and execution if he answers the call to be questioned on Swedish soil.

A threat that he, and only he, has elucidated. There's no extradition request in place, and Sweden isn't actually a banana republic whereby the government can order the courts to approve an extradition request.

>Third, the UK has spent millions each year to make sure he doesn't get away.

Well, yes. He's a wanted man. You generally don't want to let those slip.

Come on, I'm not a fan of Assange either, but it's perfectly realistic to believe he'll be syphoned off to the US if he steps out of that embassy

That's an incredibly naive comment. He most likely faces extradition to the US for espionage. There's been no formal charges but senior US officials have hinted as much. Given how the US has treated journalists lately I think he has ample reasons to expect an unfair closed door trial in the US.

Here'sa bit about it, http://www.alternet.org/rss/breaking_news/1003054/does_the_u...