Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is being held in Wandsworth Prison after being refused bail by a judge over fears that he would try to flee the UK.

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Mr Assange, 39, was arrested on December 7 by the Metropolitan Police after he held a voluntary appointment with them regarding his European arrest warrant for sexual assault allegations.

The warrant for Mr Assange’s arrest was issued on December 3 by Swedish authorities after two different women alleged that he had sexually assaulted them in Sweden earlier this year.

He appeared in Westminster Magistrates’ Court yesterday but was refused bail by the judge and taken to HMP Wandsworth, where he will remain in custody until December 14, when his full extradition hearing takes place.

Mr Assange, an Australian national, has gained notoriety for the Wikileaks website which is currently disclosing tens of thousands of sensitive US government diplomatic cables to a number of national newspapers around the world.

His lawyer Mark Stephens has vowed to apply for bail again, and his whistle-blowing organisation have said they will carry on releasing the cables despite his detention.