WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will fight to remain in Britain next month, it has been confirmed.
In a 10-minute hearing at Belmarsh Magistrates’ Court, Assange’s legal team said it was ready to start a full two-day extradition hearing on February 7. Hannah Pye, for the Swedish authorities, said she had no objection to the date.
District Judge Nicholas Evans released Assange, who spoke only to confirm his name, age and address, on conditional bail. The judge agreed to vary Assange’s bail conditions to allow him to stay in Paddington on February 6 and 7.
Assange is wanted by the Swedish authorities over claims he sexually assaulted two women last year.
The computer programmer was released on £240,000 bail by a High Court judge last month after spending nine days in Wandsworth Prison.
He denies committing any offences and his supporters claim the criminal inquiry and extradition request is unfair and politically motivated.
The controversial figure was behind the release of hundreds of United States diplomatic cables, as well as information about the Iraq war, that sparked global uproar.
Earlier, supporters of Assange including human rights campaigner Bianca Jagger, socialite Jemima Khan and Gavin MacFadyen, director of the Centre for Investigative Journalism, arrived at court.
Speaking outside court after Tuesday’s hearing, Assange said he was “happy about today’s outcome” and vowed that WikiLeaks’s activities would continue.
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