As pointed out by the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, they were not, and the Swedish authorities did everything to indicate that they didn't care about Assange's answers, they just wanted to force him out of the embassy.
This is kind of how prosecutors in Sweden think though. They don’t want to ask some questions over the phone, to be answered by someone feeling physically safe. They want to lock you up for a day or two, to shake you up a bit, and then ask you the questions. It’s primitive as fuck, but kind of how it works here.
This isn't the only case that has involved Sweden questioning people in another country, they have a treaty with the UK explicitly setting up a method of questioning people over video link in the UK. This was unacceptable for some reason with Assange.
And I doubt anyone involved thought that Assange has felt physically safe for the past decade.
