By Ben Leach
Published: 9:43AM BST 13 May 2010
Gary McKinnon faces charges of hacking into Pentagon and NASA computers Photo: PABoth David Cameron and Nick Clegg have publicly condemned plans to send Mr McKinnon to the U.S. – where he faces up to 60 years in jail.
Last year, Mr Cameron said that if Mr McKinnon had questions to answer there was "a clear argument to be made that he should answer them in a British court”.
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Mr Clegg has said that extraditing Gary would be a “travesty of justice” and that Gordon Brown should give his "personal guarantee” that Mr McKinnon will be tried in Britain.
Now the supporters of Mr McKinnon, who has Asperger's syndrome, are hoping they will keep their word.
On Wednesday Mr McKinnon's mother Janis Sharp wrote to Mr Clegg asking the coalition government to intervene.
She told the Daily Mail: “He has been one of Gary's most passionate and outspoken supporters and always said he would not extradite him.
“It would be a great and honourable start for them and it will show the public that we have finally got politicians who will stand up for justice and civil liberties.”
A full judicial review of former Home Secretary Alan Johnson's refusal to stop Mr McKinnon's extradition will be heard this month.
Karen Todner, Mr McKinnon’s solicitor, intends to formally ask Mr Johnson's successor, Theresa May, to look again at her client’s case.
They could also call for an immediate review and reform of the controversial 2003 Extradition Act between the UK and US.
Mr McKinnon was arrested in 2002 for hacking into 97 Nasa and Pentagon computers in 2001 and 2002. He claimed he was looking for evidence of “little green men”.
Thursday, 13 May 2010
Family of Gary McKinnon urge new Government to halt extradition to US - Telegraph
via telegraph.co.uk
