Assange to appear in court on Tuesday

Wikileaks editor Julian Assange is due in court on Tuesday in the second round of his fight against extradition to Sweden to face sex-crimes charges.

Assange will again seek bail at the hearing at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court, which is due to begin at 2pm.

The Wikileaks editor was denied bail by chief magistrate Howard Riddle on Tuesday last week, after Riddle ruled that Assange was at risk of flight. Sweden has requested Assange's extradition under a European Arrest Warrant.

Assange is wanted for questioning in Sweden on suspicion of sexually molesting one woman, and raping another.

Assange's supporters, who include journalist John Pilger and film director Ken Loach, have pointed out that the charges come at a time when Wikileaks is in the process of publishing hundreds of thousands of sensitive US diplomatic cables. The cables are potentially embarrassing to governments around the world.