16 December 2010 Last updated at 14:09 ET

Timeline: sexual allegations against Assange in Sweden

Key dates in the case of sexual allegations against the founder of Wikileaks, Australian journalist and activist Julian Assange.

11 August

Julian Assange arrives in Sweden on a speaking trip partly arranged by "Miss A", a member of the Christian Association of Social Democrats. He has not met "Miss A" before but reports suggest they have arranged in advance that he can stay in her apartment while she is out of town for a few days.

14 August

"Miss A" returns to Stockholm. Both she and Mr Assange attend a seminar by the Social Democrats' Brotherhood Movement on "War and the role of media", at which the Wikileaks founder is the key speaker. The two reportedly have sex that night.

17 August

Mr Assange reportedly has sex with "Miss W", a woman he met at the seminar on 14 August.

Some time between 17 and 20 August, the two women are in contact and apparently share concerns they have about aspects of their sexual encounters with the journalist.

18 August

Mr Assange applies for a residence permit to live and work in Sweden. He hopes to create a base for Wikileaks there, because of the country's laws protecting whistle-blowers.

20 August

The Swedish Prosecutor's Office issues an arrest warrant for Julian Assange. Karin Rosander, the head of communications, says there are two separate allegations - one of rape and one of molestation.

Both women reportedly say that what started as consensual sex became non-consensual.

Wikileaks quotes Mr Assange as saying the accusations are "without basis" and that their appearance "at this moment is deeply disturbing". A later message on the Wikileaks Twitter feed says the group has been warned to expect "dirty tricks".

21 August

The arrest warrant is withdrawn. "I don't think there is reason to suspect that he has committed rape," says one of Stockholm's chief prosecutors, Eva Finne.

Ms Rosander says the investigation into the molestation charge will continue but it is not a serious enough crime for an arrest warrant.

The lawyer for the two women, Claes Borgstrom, lodges an appeal to a special department in the public prosecutions office.

31 August

Mr Assange is questioned by police for about an hour in Stockholm and formally told of the allegations against him, according to his lawyer at the time, Leif Silbersky. The activist denies the charges.

1 September

Director of Prosecutions Marianne Ny says she is reopening the rape investigation against Mr Assange. Ms Ny is also head of the department that oversees prosecution of sex crimes in particular.

"There is reason to believe that a crime has been committed," she says in a statement. "Considering information available at present, my judgement is that the classification of the crime is rape."

Ms Ny says the investigation into the molestation claim will also be extended. She tells AFP that overturning another prosecutor's decision was "not an ordinary (procedure), but not so out of the ordinary either".

18 October

The Wikileaks founder is denied residency in Sweden. No reason is given, although an official on Sweden's Migration Board tells AFP "he did not fulfil the requirements".

18 November

Stockholm District Court approves a request to detain Mr Assange for questioning on suspicion of rape, sexual molestation and unlawful coercion. The Director of Public Prosecutions says he has not been available for questioning.

Mr Assange's British lawyer Mark Stephens says his client offered to be interviewed at the Swedish embassy in London or Scotland Yard or via video link. He accuses Ms Ny of "abusing her powers" in insisting that Mr Assange return to Sweden.

20 November

Swedish police issue an international arrest warrant for Mr Assange via Interpol.

30 November

Interpol issues a "red notice" for Mr Assange, asking people to contact police if they have any information about his whereabouts.

8 December

The Wikileaks founder gives himself up to London police and is taken to an extradition hearing at a Westminster court. He is remanded in custody pending another hearing on 14 December.

14 December

Judges award bail to Mr Assange, but prosecutors immediately announce that they will appeal, and he is sent back to jail until a higher court can address the issue.

16 December

Mr Assange is granted bail by Mr Justice Ouseley at the High Court and is freed after his supporters pay £240,000 in cash and sureties.