The question of whether Julian Assange is extradited to Sweden or the U.S. appeared to swing in favour of American authorities today following a court ruling in Sweden.

The Wikileaks founder, who is currently in prison in Britain for skipping bail, is being investigated in Sweden over an alleged rape and is wanted in the U.S. for leaking secret documents.

Today, Uppsala District Court in Sweden rejected a request by the country's prosecutors that Assange be 'detained in absentia'.

The ruling doesn't mean the preliminary rape investigation will be abandoned, only that Assange won't be extradited to Sweden for now.

Julian Assange, pictured on his way to jail in the UK last month, may not be extradited to Sweden after a ruling by a court in Scandinavia today

Julian Assange pictured as he is led out of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in handcuffs following his arrest by British police in April. He is being investigated in Sweden and the U.S.

Swedish prosecutors will now have to either appeal the ruling or question Assange in Britain as part of their investigation.

The ruling does however complicate and potentially delay the Swedish case, while U.S. authorities push ahead with their case to take Assange across the Atlantic.

Eva-Marie Persson, Sweden's deputy director of public prosecutions, said she has not decided whether to appeal.

'I will also issue a European Investigation Order in order to interview Julian Assange,' Persson said, adding that she hasn't picked a possible date for the questioning in England.

Assange's lawyer in Sweden, Per Samuelsson, said his client would 'be happy, we are happy' to learn he won't be extradited to Sweden.

On May 13, Sweden reopened an investigation into the rape allegation against Assange, which he denies.

Last month, Assange was evicted from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London where he had been holed up with political asylum since 2012.

Assange is currently in London's Belmarsh high-security prison, where he has been visited by former Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson, who is a fan of his

He was then immediately arrested by British police on April 11 and is currently serving a 50-week sentence in Britain for jumping bail in 2012.

Assange, 47, is also fighting extradition to the U.S., which accuses him of publishing secret documents.

He is facing a total of 18 charges - most relating to obtaining and disseminating classified information including military documents and diplomatic cables.

Mr Assange could be sentenced to 175 years in prison if convicted on all 18 counts.

Last week, Assange missed a court session in the UK, reportedly due to health problems.