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UFO hacker ‘could kill himself if sent to USA’
Wednesday, 15 July 2009
Gary McKinnon: Under British law, his crimes would probably warrant little more than a six-month community service order and a large fine
enlargeA senior Government law officer was accused yesterday of “failing to confront the human rights arguments” against forcing a British “UFO eccentric” to face trial in America for hacking into US military networks.
A QC told two High Court judges that extraditing Gary McKinnon (43), who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, would lead to “disastrous consequences” because of his medical condition, including possible psychosis and suicide.
Mr McKinnon from Wood Green, north London, is asking the judges to overturn a refusal by Keir Starmer QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), to put him on trial in the UK on charges of computer misuse.
If there is no UK prosecution Mr McKinnon would inevitably be extradited to stand trial in the US, the judges heard.
Edward Fitzgerald QC, appearing for Mr McKinnon, accused the DPP of misapplying the law when he decided there was “insufficient evidence” to support a UK prosecution under the Computer Misuse Act, even though the hacker had admitted his crimes.
Mr Fitzgerald said the DPP had also failed to confront the new evidence concerning Mr McKinnon's medical condition and deal with the human rights issues it raised.
If sent to the US, Mr McKinnon is likely to receive a substantial prison sentence, possibly served in a ‘supermax’ prison used for high risk inmates.
Judgment has been reserved and a decision is expected by the end of July.
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I've watched this story over the last couple of years from Canada. I think it would be a gross miscarriage of justice to extradite this man. I've heard his story of " bumping into" other hackers as he weaved his way through the so called " secure" American military network. They are merely trying to make an example of him, because they are too inept to catch the other "hackers" who were probably a bit more professional at it. The British people and justice system are being deceived and misled into sacrificing one of their own for the American propaganda system and their so called " justice" system. A "justice" system that imprisons more of it's own people, percentage-wise, than any other western country and most 3rd world countries.
Don't fall for this Britain.
Get out in the streets and save this young man.
Posted by Don | 16.07.09, 23:20 GMT
Hope the English law will be the place for this guy to show his innocence!
What he did was not at all terror acting !! And everybody know that! Especially the socalled experts from USA that want him to be charged under US law. They simply want the poor guy to be a scapegoat though he probably did the NASA/JPL people a big favour by showing them how easy it would be for real terrorists to break in to the computersystems!
Hope McKinnon will stay in England, and get a justice that is correct ! what he will not get if he goes to USA !
Best Wishes
Posted by Ian steff | 16.07.09, 19:42 GMT
I think its ashame for mr Mckinnon. Besides this really makes a mockery of British law that no foreign law should super seed our own laws in our land and the British are not meant to extradite to countries that carry the death sentence (its actually against international law).
Posted by Aelfred | 16.07.09, 10:51 GMT
If I commit a crime I go to jail, why should this case be any different, criminals should be punished regardless of mental capacity.
Posted by aidan | 15.07.09, 13:30 GMT
I think its a big possibility he may, for those of us on the autism spectrum often its not as simply as just having Aspergers, for those of us with more complex intriguingly intelligent different minds often we can have quite a few co-morbid conditions, partly by being exposure to a society that does not understand us, often pushed more into our own worlds, and those always on the outside of the herd often there extremities lead to anxiety, various mood disorders etc.. Aspergers Parallel Planet
Posted by Alyson Bradley | 15.07.09, 09:57 GMT