(CNN) -- Great Britain and Ecuador remained in a standoff early Friday, following the South American nation's decision to grant Julian Assange asylum -- a decision British authorities are refusing to honor, saying they are committed to extraditing the WikiLeaks founder to Sweden. According to the official Twitter feed of WikiLeaks -- a website that's published hundreds of thousands of once-secret U.S. government documents -- there were "over 35 police surrounding the Ecuadorian embassy in London" soon after 12:30 a.m. Friday. Britain's foreign ministry, though, earlier countered that there was a larger "police presence outside the British Embassy in Quito" than at the Ecuadorian mission in London.
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NEW: WikiLeaks says via Twitter that 35 British police remain outside Ecuador's embassy
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Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Patiño says granting asylum is to protect Assange's rights
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But British authorities say they'll still try to extradite Assange, not letting him freely go to Ecuador
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A leader of Assange's team vows to take the case to the International Court of Justice
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On Thursday, he thanked his "courageous, independent" Ecuadorian hosts for protecting him "from persecution," after its Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño announced his nation was giving asylum to Assange and urged British authorities to let him travel freely to @placeholder.
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"There are strong indications of retaliation by the country or countries who produced the information divulged by Mr. Assange, reprisals that could put at risk his security, integrity and even his life," the @placeholder government concluded.
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"It is important to understand that this is not about Mr. Assange's activities at @placeholder or the attitude of the United States of America.
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Two women accused him of sexually assaulting them during an August 2010 visit to @placeholder in connection with a WikiLeaks release of internal U.S. military documents.
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Patiño jabbed British authorities for sending a written notice to Ecuador that they would "assault" his country's embassy in London if @placeholder officials failed to hand over Assange.
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The @placeholder say one of their laws allow for them to enter the embassy and arrest Assange.
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The @placeholder, in effect, is saying "we are going to savagely hit you depending on how you behave," Patiño said.
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Following Ecuador's announcement, Sweden said it took umbrage to the implication it does not guarantee the rights of those in its custody, and called the @placeholder ambassador there to a meeting.