Gary McKinnon extradition to US blocked

[xxMATTGxx]

British computer hacker Gary McKinnon will not be extradited to the US, Home Secretary Theresa May has announced.

Mr McKinnon, 46, who admits accessing US government computers but claims he was looking for evidence of UFOs, has been fighting extradition since 2002.

The home secretary told MPs there was no doubt Mr McKinnon was "seriously ill" and the extradition warrant against him should be withdrawn.

Mrs May said the sole issue she had to consider was his human rights.

She said it was now for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, to decide whether he should face trial in the UK.

Mrs May said: "After careful consideration of all of the relevant material I have concluded that Mr McKinnon's extradition would give rise to such a high risk of him ending his life that a decision to extradite would be incompatible with Mr McKinnon's human rights. I have therefore withdrawn the extradition order against Mr McKinnon."

Mrs May also said measures would be taken to enable a UK court to decide whether a person should stand trial in the UK or abroad - a so-called forum bar.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19957138


If anyone remembers this then it seems the decision has now been made that he won't be given to the US!

[GommeInc]

Good. All this because of "access," which in itself means very little. Accessing a computer AND going on to do something bad with the knowledge you have gained illegally is a problem, and a problem that doesn't exist in this scenario. He just accessed a computer and went on to do nothing seemingly harmful with the information he obtained. Yes, it was wrong to illegally gain access to a database, but he admits this and has stated what his intentions were.

Instead of demanding he be tied up and prosecuted, they should ask how he did it and fix the problem, as he seems quite an innocent minded individual from the accounts he has given. The accounts from the prosecution seem to just be blind rage than actually providing anything remotely related to misdeeds and anything potentially damaging.

[Inseriousity.]

Good. All this because of "access," which in itself means very little. Accessing a computer AND going on to do something bad with the knowledge you have gained illegally is a problem, and a problem that doesn't exist in this scenario. He just accessed a computer and went on to do nothing seemingly harmful with the information he obtained. Yes, it was wrong to illegally gain access to a database, but he admits this and has stated what his intentions were.

Instead of demanding he be tied up and prosecuted, they should ask how he did it and fix the problem, as he seems quite an innocent minded individual from the accounts he has given. The accounts from the prosecution seem to just be blind rage than actually providing anything remotely related to misdeeds and anything potentially damaging.

GOVERNMENT CONSPIRACY. That's what they want you to think! *X-Files theme tune* lolol

Good to see there is some actual system in place and we don't just hand people over cos we like to follow america like sheep which is what it feels like sometimes! It is a shame it took so long to get to some common sense though!

[-:Undertaker:-]

I'm amazed, something I can actually agree on with the Home Office.

Shame Mrs. May hasn't got the power (or will) to grapple with a far more serious extradition issue though, that being the EAW.

[Sian]

he did the US a favour anyway, showing them they were hackable and need to sort out some of the staff passwords.

It's good to see someone can do something right as well.