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© unknownCollapse: Julian Assange has pulled out of his 'ghost-written' memoirs
An £850,000 book deal signed by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to write his memoirs has collapsed over fears the U.S. Government could use them for extradition hearings.

He has said he is unhappy with his 'ghost-written' book and that he never actually wanted them written.

Mr Assange, who will appear before the High Court on July 12 for an appeal against his extradition on sex assault allegations, said he had only agreed to the memoirs because he was in financial straits.

He received an advance of £500,000 for his book from publishers Alfred A Knopf of Random House with a further £350,000 coming from Canongate, according to the Guardian.

It is believed that Mr O'Hagan could still write a book based on his six months of interviews with Mr Assange and that could recoup some of the losses if he cannot be persuaded to let publication to go ahead.

Assange has been under house arrest since December last year, and is obliged to report to the police station every day as well as wear an electronic tag.

He is currently staying at Ellingham Hall, the 10-bed home of journalist Vaughan Smith, in Norfolk.

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Civil rights lawyer Gareth Pierce, left, replaced Mark Stephens as Assange's lawyer

The memoirs have already been written by Scottish novelist Andrew O'Hagan after a series of interviews but Assange pulled out over paranoia that the U.S. Government will use them as evidence for his extradition to America.

He has thus far spent £200,000 on legal bills to avoid being sent to Sweden to face trial over the sex assault charges.

He has also got a new lawyer after replacing Mark Stephens, a media lawyer, with civil wrights lawyer Gareth Pierce.

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© The Associated PressEffingham Hall in Norfolk, the 10-bed home of journalist Vaughan Smith where Mr Assange is staying
Campaigners supporting WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange last month released a video bemoaning his bail conditions and showing cameras that have been erected outside his home.

In the short film, released to mark six months since his first arrest, Sarah Harrison from WikiLeaks shows one of three traffic monitoring cameras that have been installed outside entrances to the Norfolk property where Assange is living.

His former lawyer Mark Stephens, who did not know about the video release, said: 'The restrictions on him are unduly burdensome. I have felt for some time that they were unduly restrictive.

'Were someone other than Julian Assange who was in the same position, they would not be subject to the same restrictions.'

He said that Assange can apply to have his bail conditions reviewed.
Assange, who roamed the globe before his arrest in December, said that he had become 'a fixed target' for snoopers.

'It is easy to conduct surveillance against me and anyone I talk to,' Assange said. 'We take steps against this, but it is costly and time-consuming.'

He said his house arrest had been 'the single largest impediment to our work, with the possible exception of the illegal blockade being conducted by the major U.S. financial institutions against us.'

Some U.S.-based banks and financial services have refused to handle payments to WikiLeaks, leading to him releasing a spoof to Mastercard's 'priceless' adverts.

The credit card companies that is blocking over $15million in donations to the web-based whistleblower group.