WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is set to appear before a London court on Friday for an extradition hearing to the US, which has accused him of conspiring to intercept Pentagon computers.

The 47-year-old Australian is currently serving a 50-week prison sentence for violating bail conditions in 2012 when he was wanted on accusations of sexual assault in Sweden.

The hacker was sensationally dragged out shouting from the Ecuadoran embassy in London by British police in April after the country terminated his seven-year asylum stay.

Washington said, Assange, violated the Espionage Act by releasing a vast trove of classified military and diplomatic files in 2010 about US bombing campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Assange, who is accused of one of the largest leaks of classified information in the US, was arrested and removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in the month of April.

He was also found guilty of skipping bail by a UK court.

In April, prosecutors in Virginia revealed that Assange had been charged with a single count of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion related to helping Manning obtain access to Defence Department computers in 2010.

In May, a grand jury in Virginia filed 18 new charges against him, including espionage and publication of highly classified documents, which could lead to up to at least 170 years’ sentence.

The case is likely to last months as there are multiple opportunities for appeal.

Assange is contesting his extradition to the US stating that he had a commitment to journalism “that has protected many people”.

Assange grabbed international attention in 2010 after WikiLeaks published leaked military information provided by former US soldier Chelsea Manning, which prompted the American government to launch a criminal investigation.

In November 2010, Sweden requested his extradition over allegations of sexual assault and rape, which he denied. He also expressed concern that he would be extradited from Sweden to the US because of his role in the Manning leaks.

Assange surrendered himself to the UK police around a month later and was held in custody for 10 days before being released on bail. When he was unable to challenge the extradition proceedings, he breached bail and in August 2012 was granted asylum by Ecuador.

He remained sheltered in Ecuador’s embassy in London for seven years to avoid arrest.

Sweden has since withdrawn its extradition request, but a UK arrest warrant remained in force as Assange had failed to surrender after breaking bail conditions.

(With inputs from IANS)