14 DAY TRIAL // British hacker and UFO conspiracy theorist Gary "SOLO" McKinnon has lost his extradition appeal to the High Court of Justice, who ruled that he should be packing up his bags and face trial in the U.S. His solicitor announced that more appeals would follow and that she sent a letter to President Barack Obama asking him to end the extradition proceedings.
Gary McKinnon, the Londoner who was arrested in 2002 for hacking into 53 U.S. Army, 26 U.S. Navy, 16 NASA and two U.S. Department of Defense and Air Force computers, has been fighting Home Office's decision to extradite him for a long time. Back in January, the High Court granted him a judicial extradition review, based on his newly discovered medical condition.
Prof. Simon Baron-Cohen, the director of the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University, has previously diagnosed McKinnon with Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism. Professor Baron-Cohen, who has become a supporter of McKinnon's cause to avoid extradition, argued that his disorder made him highly susceptible to psychosis or suicide thoughts if imprisoned, particularly away from his family.
In January, McKinnon also agreed to plead guilty if prosecuted in the UK for breaching the Computer Misuse Act. The Crown Prosecution Service refused the offer, explaining that the U.S. authorities had significantly more evidence than it did. McKinnon's legal team also appealed this decision with the High Court.
On Friday, the High Court ruled unfavorably on both appeals, calling the extradition of the hacker "a lawful and proportionate response to his offending." The hacker's solicitor, Karen Todner, described the ruling as being "inhumane" and an "affront to British justice," caused by a disproportionate extradition treaty between the two countries.
Ms. Todner announced that she had sent a letter to President Barack Obama signed by 40 members of the British Parliament, asking him to intervene and put a stop to this "shameful episode," which targeted a vulnerable man. She also pointed out that they would appeal to the new Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, which will start work on October 1.
The U.S. authorities claim that McKinnon's actions have caused damages of around $800,000. The Londoner has admitted to accessing the computers without authorization in search of evidence about UFOs and renewable energy, but claims that he did not damage them in any way. If prosecuted in the U.S., McKinnon risks a sentence of up to 70 years in a federal prison.