WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is unwell and is not attending a British court for his extradition hearing for that reason, his lawyer said on Tuesday. 

Assange, 52, spent seven years in Ecuador's embassy in London before he was dragged out and jailed in 2019. He has been held in a maximum-security jail in southeast London ever since.

His wife, Stella Assange, warned last week that his health was "in decline, physically and mentally."

If this week's bid to appeal is successful, Assange will have another chance to argue his case in a London court, with a date set for a full hearing. If he loses, he will have exhausted all UK appeals and will enter the extradition process, although his team has indicated it will appeal to European courts.

(With input from agencies)