WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange made a brief appearance in a London court on Tuesday and will return next month for a full hearing on Sweden's efforts to extradite him for questioning over alleged sex crimes. The 39-year-old Australian computer expert, who has infuriated Washington by releasing details of secret US diplomatic cables on his website, has protested his innocence over claims of sexual misconduct against two women.
Assange, wearing a dark suit and dark tie, sat behind a glass screen at the top security Belmarsh Magistrates' Court during a hearing lasting less than half an hour. He is due back in court on February 7.
Assange said that his organisation would press ahead with its release of documents despite his own legal battle. WikiLeaks said in December it planned to release documents that would point to "unethical practices" at a major US bank, widely thought to be Bank of America. "Our work with WikiLeaks continues unabated and we are stepping up our publishing for matters related to Cablegate and other materials," Assange told reporters outside the court.