Julian Assange in court for US extradition hearing

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is expected to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London for an extradition hearing on May 2. It marks the next stage in a lengthy drama that might end with his extradition to the United States, possibly via Sweden.

Police arrested Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy in London on Apr 12, 2019, after Ecuador revoked its protection.

Assange had been holed up at the embassy since 2012, after Ecuador granted him asylum to avoid extradition to Sweden in connection with sexual misconduct allegations. Sweden is considering whether to reopen its investigations into the allegations.

WikiLeaks was already established as an online outlet for posting secret documents from anonymous leakers well before its massive disclosure in 2010 of US government and military information.