WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was arrested Tuesday on a Swedish warrant, London’s Metropolitan Police said.

Assange was arrested at a London police station at 9:30 a.m. and will appear at the City of Westminster Magistrate’s Court at 2 p.m., police said.

Swedish authorities had issued the warrant for Assange so they can talk to him about allegations unrelated to WikiLeaks’ recent disclosure of secret U.S. documents.

At court, Assange will be able to respond to the arrest warrant, and the court will then have roughly 21 days to decide whether to extradite him, said Mark Ellis, executive director of the International Bar Association.

Even though the Swedish warrant is a European arrest warrant designed for easy transfer of suspects among European states, Assange may still choose to fight it — something his London lawyer has promised to do, according to the Press Association.

If the court does decide to allow his extradition, Assange will be allowed to appeal that decision, too, elongating the legal process, Ellis said.

Assange, a 39-year-old Australian, has said he has long feared retribution for his website’s disclosures and has called the recent allegations against him a smear campaign.

A spokesman for WikiLeaks said Tuesday the legal proceedings in London had not affected the site, which facilitates the anonymous leaking of secret information.

“WikiLeaks is operating as normal, and we plan to release documents on schedule,” spokesman Kristinn Hrafnson said.

WikiLeaks has been under intense pressure from the United States and its allies since it began posting the first of more than 250,000 U.S. State Department documents November 28.

(Source: CNN)