The UK Home Secretary Alan Johnson halted extradition proceedings temporarily in October to study new medical evidence (Gary has Asperger's Syndrome) before approving Gary's right to appeal to a European Court.
Well, on Friday last the Home Office said that "The Secretary of State is of the view that McKinnon's extradition would not be incompatible with his [human] rights", which makes it look as though Gary will be sent to the US. All that stands in the way of that now is a judicial review of the Home Secretary's decision.
Whatever the legal rights and wrongs of this, whether or not Gary has Asperger's, whether or not the US is looking for a "scape goat", whether or not what he did was wrong, whether or not the US system is fit to try him are all questions I won't dwell on here.
Suffice it to say that the concept of sending a UK citizen to another country to stand trial FOR AN OFFENCE COMMITTED WHILE HE WAS IN BRITAIN is simply unjust. As far as I can see it, offend here = try here. End of story.
You can read more about Gary's case at http://freegary.org.uk/ .
I thought I had commented in July, but it's not there, so perhaps not. I agree entirely with your last sentence. Unfortunately we have a completely supine Government, which is little better than a puppet of the American administration, with a PM who closes his good eye to the blindingly obvious! I think you will gather my political colour is not of the faded red of New Labour.
ReplyDeleteIt should be visible at
ReplyDeletehttp://ianjelf.blogspot.com/2009/07/in-support-of-gary-mckinnon.html
and through the highlighted text at the start of this Blog entry. Unless I'm doing something wrong, which is highly likely....... :-))
The entry was made on 31 July 2009.