WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, wanted in Sweden over claims he sexually assaulted two women, appeared in a court here today and expressed his readiness to fight extradition from the UK.

The defence team of the 39-year-old Australian, who denies the charges, was ready for a two-day extradition case, which was set for February 7 and 8 during a hearing at a court here, his lawyer Geoffrey Robertson said.

District Judge Nicholas Evans, who oversaw a 10-minute hearing at Belmarsh Magistrates' Court, adjourned the case until next month.

Outside the court, Assange, who was wearing a dark suit and a navy blue tie, said: "We are happy with today's outcome."

In court, the founder of the whistle-blower website spoke only to confirm his name, age and address, the BBC reported.

But outside court, he said: "Our work with WikiLeaks continues unabated. We are stepping up publishing for Cablegate and other materials. They will be shortly appearing with the help of our newspaper partners."

Assange has been staying at a manor home on the Norfolk-Suffolk border owned by the Frontline Club's owner, Vaughan Smith, but Robertson argued that it was difficult for him to reach court in time from that address.

The bail conditions were varied to enable Assange to stay at the Frontline Club, in Paddington, on February 6 and 7.

Assange was released on bail by a High Court judge just before Christmas after spending nine days in Wandsworth prison.

The sex crime allegations against Assange stem from his encounters with two women during a trip to Sweden last year, at the same time when his website was drawing global attention with its massive leaks of classified US diplomatic cables.

Meanwhile, Assange fears he could face the death penalty in the US, defence documents say.

His lawyer said there was a "real risk" the US would then seek extradition over the leaking of the diplomatic cables.

The claim was made ahead of a full extradition hearing next month, BBC reported.

Assange founded WikiLeaks which published thousands of US embassy cables and other confidential documents online, prompting the US to examine possible charges against him.

The defence document, posted on the Finers Stephens Innocent website at the request of Assange, suggested that extraditing him to Sweden could breach Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which bans torture.

"It is submitted that there is a real risk that, if extradited to Sweden, the US will seek his extradition and/or illegal rendition to the USA, where there will be a risk of him being detained at Guantanamo Bay or elsewhere, in conditions which would breach Article 3 of the ECHR," the document said.

"Indeed, if Mr Assange were rendered to the USA without assurances that the death penalty would not be carried out, there is a real risk that he could be made subject to the death penalty."

It described Assange as a co-operative witness, saying he had already been questioned at length in Sweden. It also pointed out that he could have been questioned again in Britain, by phone or video link, without being extradited to Sweden.

Assange's lawyers also accuse the Swedish authorities of leaking legal documents to the media.