Lawyers for Julian Assange have asked a court in Swedento overturn an international arrest warrant for the WikiLeaks founder, who is wanted for questioning in relation to an allegation of rape.

Assange has lived in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since June 2012 after being granted asylum.

It follows a recent ruling by a United Nations panel that his ongoing stay at the embassy amounts to "arbitrary detention".

"We consider that there have arisen a number of new circumstances which mean there is reason to review the earlier decision," Thomas Olsson, one of Assange's lawyers said.