Wikileaks founder Julian Assange struggled to say his own name as he appeared in the dock facing extradition to the US.

The 48-year-old is wanted in the United States over claims that he was involved in the hacking and leak of a mass of classified documents in 2010 through the Wikileaks website.

But Assange says he is the victim of a politically-driven campaign by the Trump administration against journalists and whistleblowers, and claims his privileged discussions with lawyers have been spied on by the US.

Appearing at Westminster magistrates court this morning, Assange stuttered as he struggled to tell the court his name and there was a long pause before he gave his date of birth.

Julian Assange - In pictures 23 show all Julian Assange - In pictures 1/23 2019 Julian Assange made a defiant gesture with his fist as he arrived at court AFP/Getty Images 2/23 2019 Julian Assange on his arrival at Westminster Magistrates court on April 11 Jack Taylor/Getty Images 3/23 2017 Julian Assange puts his fist in the air as he steps out to speak to the media from the balcony of the Embassy Of Ecuador Getty Images 4/23 2012 Protesters gather outside the Ecuadorian Embassy, where Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks is staying Getty Images 5/23 2012 Masked supporters of Julian Assange outside the Embassy of Ecuador in Knightsbridge Dominic Lipinski/PA 6/23 2010 Photographers hold cameras to the windows of a Serco prison van believed to be carrying WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange Reuters 7/23 2016 ulian Assange's cat, is adorned with a tie and collar inside the window of the Ecuadorian Embassy PA 8/23 2016 Pamela Anderson delivers lunch to Julian Assange at Embassy of Ecuador Getty Images 9/23 2010 Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is pictured through the heavily tinted windows of a police vehicle as he arrives at Westminster magistrates court in London AFP/Getty Images 10/23 2010 Jemima Kahn leaves the City of Westminster Magistrates Court after offering to stand as surety for Julian Assange Getty Images 11/23 2010 Julian Assange of the WikiLeaks website speaks to reporters in front of a Don McCullin Vietnam war photograph at The Front Line Club in London Getty Images 12/23 2010 Wikileaks founder Julian Assange gestures inside a prison van with red windows as he arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice Getty Images 13/23 2011 WikiLeaks website founder Julian Assange arrives at The High Court Getty Images 14/23 2011 Julian Assange, founder of the WikiLeaks website, shakes the hand of a supporter as he leaves Trafalgar Square after addressing the crowd during the 'Antiwar Mass Assembly' organised by the Stop the War Coalition Getty Images 15/23 2011 Journalist John Pilger and Julian Assange, founder of the WikiLeaks website, chat before addressing the crowd during the 'Antiwar Mass Assembly' organised by the Stop the War Coalition at Trafalgar Square Getty Images 16/23 2012 Placards are left by supporters of Julian Assange, the founder of the WikiLeaks whistle-blowing website, outside the Ecuadorian Embassy Getty Images 17/23 2015 WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange with Reverend Jesse Jackson outside the Embassy of Ecuador in London PA 18/23 2016 People attend a video conference of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the International Center for Advanced Communication Studies for Latin America (CIESPAL) auditorium in Quito AFP/Getty Images 19/23 2016 WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange holds up his new kitten at the Ecuadorian Embassy in central London WikiLeaks 20/23 2017 WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange during a press conference from inside the Ecuadorian embassy AP 21/23 2018 Supporters of Julian Assange outside Westminster Magistrates Court, London where a court decision is due on whether a UK arrest warrant against the WikiLeaks founder is still valid PA 22/23 2018 British hacker Lauri Love and his girlfriend Sylvia Mann are surrounded by media after visiting Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy in London on 6th February 2018 AFP/Getty Images 23/23 2018 A cat named 'James' wearing a collar and tie yawns by the window of the Ecuadorian Embassy where WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been for over five years on 6th February 2018 AFP/Getty Images 1/23 2019 Julian Assange made a defiant gesture with his fist as he arrived at court AFP/Getty Images 2/23 2019 Julian Assange on his arrival at Westminster Magistrates court on April 11 Jack Taylor/Getty Images 3/23 2017 Julian Assange puts his fist in the air as he steps out to speak to the media from the balcony of the Embassy Of Ecuador Getty Images 4/23 2012 Protesters gather outside the Ecuadorian Embassy, where Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks is staying Getty Images 5/23 2012 Masked supporters of Julian Assange outside the Embassy of Ecuador in Knightsbridge Dominic Lipinski/PA 6/23 2010 Photographers hold cameras to the windows of a Serco prison van believed to be carrying WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange Reuters 7/23 2016 ulian Assange's cat, is adorned with a tie and collar inside the window of the Ecuadorian Embassy PA 8/23 2016 Pamela Anderson delivers lunch to Julian Assange at Embassy of Ecuador Getty Images 9/23 2010 Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is pictured through the heavily tinted windows of a police vehicle as he arrives at Westminster magistrates court in London AFP/Getty Images 10/23 2010 Jemima Kahn leaves the City of Westminster Magistrates Court after offering to stand as surety for Julian Assange Getty Images 11/23 2010 Julian Assange of the WikiLeaks website speaks to reporters in front of a Don McCullin Vietnam war photograph at The Front Line Club in London Getty Images 12/23 2010 Wikileaks founder Julian Assange gestures inside a prison van with red windows as he arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice Getty Images 13/23 2011 WikiLeaks website founder Julian Assange arrives at The High Court Getty Images 14/23 2011 Julian Assange, founder of the WikiLeaks website, shakes the hand of a supporter as he leaves Trafalgar Square after addressing the crowd during the 'Antiwar Mass Assembly' organised by the Stop the War Coalition Getty Images 15/23 2011 Journalist John Pilger and Julian Assange, founder of the WikiLeaks website, chat before addressing the crowd during the 'Antiwar Mass Assembly' organised by the Stop the War Coalition at Trafalgar Square Getty Images 16/23 2012 Placards are left by supporters of Julian Assange, the founder of the WikiLeaks whistle-blowing website, outside the Ecuadorian Embassy Getty Images 17/23 2015 WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange with Reverend Jesse Jackson outside the Embassy of Ecuador in London PA 18/23 2016 People attend a video conference of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the International Center for Advanced Communication Studies for Latin America (CIESPAL) auditorium in Quito AFP/Getty Images 19/23 2016 WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange holds up his new kitten at the Ecuadorian Embassy in central London WikiLeaks 20/23 2017 WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange during a press conference from inside the Ecuadorian embassy AP 21/23 2018 Supporters of Julian Assange outside Westminster Magistrates Court, London where a court decision is due on whether a UK arrest warrant against the WikiLeaks founder is still valid PA 22/23 2018 British hacker Lauri Love and his girlfriend Sylvia Mann are surrounded by media after visiting Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy in London on 6th February 2018 AFP/Getty Images 23/23 2018 A cat named 'James' wearing a collar and tie yawns by the window of the Ecuadorian Embassy where WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been for over five years on 6th February 2018 AFP/Getty Images

Assange appeared at court clean-shaven with his white hair swept back, holding a large bundle of paperwork and wearing a dark blue suit, white shirt, and light blue sweatshirt.

Asked at the end if he understood what had happened in court, Assange replied: “not really” and complained that he was battling against a “superpower” with “unlimited resources”.

Fighting back tears, Assange said he has been denied access to a computer behind bars and is “in fear of my life". He called the case “not equitable” and added: “I can’t think properly.”

His lawyer, Mark Summers QC, asked the court to delay the planned extradition hearing in February next year, saying more time was needed to gather evidence.

He said there is a criminal case ongoing in Spain where alleged agents for the US government are accused of spying on Assange’s computers and telephones as he talked to his legal team within the Ecuadorian Embassy.

“The American state has been actively engaged in intruding on privileged discussions between Mr Assange and his lawyers in the embassy”, said Mr Summers.

“It’s an invasion of legal privilege”, adding that the claims “speak to the nature of the trial Mr Assange faces in due course”.

Mr Summers said Assange believes the case against him, first lodged under President Barack Obama, has been “reinvigorated” since Trump’s election.

“It’s a political attempt to signal to journalists the consequences of publishing information”, he said. “It’s legally unprecedented.”

James Lewis QC, representing the US, opposed a delay, and District Judge Vanessa Baraitser refused to push the hearing back.

Assange was jailed for 50 weeks earlier this year after he emerged from more than seven years inside the Ecuadorian Embassy, after being found guilty of failing to turn up for court in 2012.

He had been poised to be extradited to Sweden over sex assault claims, but sought refuge in the central London embassy while on bail.

Assange insisted throughout his self-imposed incarceration that he would be transferred on to the US to face trial over his WikiLeaks activities if he was sent to Sweden.

After completing his sentence last month, he was remanded in custody to await the outcome of the latest extradition battle.

Assange faces 18 charges on a US indictment, alleging he worked with military analyst Chelsea Manning to hack computer systems and leak vast amounts of classified State Department and Pentagon documents.

Wikileaks published hundreds of thousands of internal documents and military cables in 2010, relating to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and detainees being held at Guantanemo Bay.

It is said Assange was engaged with Manning in “real-time” attempts to crack passwords, and the leak exposed the names of US military sources and put them in danger.

Assange is accused of 17 espionage charges and one count of computer hacking. He denies the charges and is due to have a full extradition hearing at Belmarsh magistrates court starting on February 24.

A further case management hearing will take place on December 19.