The first extradition hearing for Assange will be scheduled for the week of February 23rd, while the remaining three weeks will be held starting on 18 May.

This move comes after Assange's defense team argued that there was not enough time to receive and study witness statements and that the WikiLeaks founder had difficulty accessing the case materials.

The first part of the full hearing in February at Woolwich Crown Court will cover arguments that the extradition is politically motivated and an abuse of process.