[mr_eel]

Easy enough to call his manhood into question, but pretty ridiculous when you immediately say that "Not that the campaign against him wasn't overzealous and clearly politically motivated, etc."

The abuse of the EAW and general excessive response are reason enough for to fight it.

As for salvaging credibility; a vicious media campaign had begun against him long before the extradition proceedings reached these dramatic heights — it's not a conspiracy either, it's just a lot of journalists are pricks.

I doubt going to Sweden would have changed that.

So, it's very easy to say he 'probably… made to face a comparatively light penalty', but when getting that judgement wrong means trumped-up espionage charges, it's a very different proposition altogether.