Computer Hacker appeals to Home Secretary
Lawyers for a Briton accused of hacking into secret military and NASA computers are asking the Home Secretary to ensure that he is not jailed in the US.
Glasgow-born Gary McKinnon, 42, who last month lost his appeal against extradition, could face life in jail if convicted of accessing 97 computers. He says he acted out of curiosity, not malice.
His lawyer Karen Todner asserted that his human rights would be breached if he did not return to the UK after a trial. The Home Office said his case was “receiving consideration.”
A spokesman for the Home Office said “Further representations have been received today from solicitors against Mr McKinnon’s surrender to the USA which are receiving consideration.”
Mr McKinnon, from Wood Green in North London, is currently out of work. He was said to be “distraught” after losing his extradition appeal at the European Court of Human Rights. He has admitted breaking into the computers, but says he sought information on UFOs and only got in because of lax security.
In America, the government insisted he committed a malicious crime - the biggest military computer hack ever. They say he stole passwords, deleted files and left 300 computers at a US navy weapons station unusable immediately after the September 11th terrorist attacks. Clearly it is time to re-think summary extradition when US prosecutors threaten to ‘fry’ a non-violent computer hacker.
Ms Todner said she had written to the Home Office asking for an intervention on her client’s behalf. She said: “We have requested that the Home Secretary obtain an assurance from the United States Government that Mr McKinnon be returned to the UK immediately on receiving a sentence in the US, should he be extradited.”
Derrick Cameron from Luton based IT firm Eximium comments “McKinnon first lost his case against extradition at the High Court in 2006 before taking it to the highest court in the UK, the House of Lords. Clearly he is running out of time and places to go. I understand that his lawyers want his case to be tried in Britain, arguing that the alleged offences were committed on British soil. This will make a significant difference to the outcome if he is found guilty.”
This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 29th, 2008 at 10:27 am and is filed under Business Advice, Data Security, IT Advice, News . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
