Wikileaks founder Julian Assange appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court at 10am today, as his extradition case continues. The forty-eight-year-old is wanted in the US over leaks of classified military documents and charity Blueprint for Free Speech have said the Australian plans to fight the case “as long as it takes”. The full hearing against Mr Assange will take place in February and if the legal battle goes to a series of appeals, the Wikileaks founder could remain in a UK jail until at least 2025 – at a cost of £600,000 to the British taxpayer.

The costs would fund Mr Assange’s jail and court costs.

The Australian national has been wanted by the US government for nearly a decade, and is accused of breaking the Espionage Act.

Then-Home Secretary Sajid David signed an order in June allowing Mr Assange to be extradited to the US over the computer-hacking allegations.

He was jailed for 50 weeks for skipping bail in 2012 and fleeing to the Ecuadorean embassy, where he stayed for nearly seven years.

Mr Assange sought refuge at the embassy after being accused of sexual assault in Sweden.

His stay is thought to have cost the UK £16million in policing and other expenses.

The WikiLeaks founder was due to be released from HMP Belmarsh on September 22, but was told at a court hearing last month he would be kept in jail because of “substantial grounds” for believing he would abscond.

As such, he is not currently serving a sentence at present, and his status is “on remand”.

The US extradition request consists of 17 charges under the 1917 US Espionage Act and one count under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

The charges relate to WikiLeaks’ 2010 publications about the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay and US Diplomatic Cables.

The US have reportedly assured Mr Assange he will not face the death penalty if he is extradited.

Today’s case management hearing will decide the timetable of future proceedings and will also allow a review of the progression of defence arguments and evidence.

It is the first time Mr Assange has attended court in person, previously only appearing via a video link from Belmarsh high security prison.

He wore a navy suit and light blue jumper for the hearing and raised his fist to supporters in the public gallery, according to Reuters.

Mr Assange was cleanly shaven in contrast to the long beard he had grown while holed up in Ecuador’s embassy.

The charity Blueprint for Free Speech told The Times: “He will fight this as long as it takes.

“That could be all the way to the Supreme Court and to [the European Court of Human Rights in] Strasbourg if need be.”

Protestors are expected to gather outside the court today who argue that MR Assange should not face trial for his reporting of the Iraq war.

Professor Melzer, a UN independent expert on torture, warns that if extradited to the US, Mr Assange risks “serious violations of his human rights” and could be jailed for up to 175 years.

Professor Melzer, who has visited the fugitive computer programmer in prison, said in a statement: “My most urgent concern is that, in the United States, Mr Assange would be exposed to a real risk of serious violations of his human rights, including his freedom of expression, his right to a fair trial and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”

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