Tuesday 1 December 2009

In Support of Gary McKinnon 2

Back at the end of July, I blogged in support of Gary McKinnon, the computer hacker threatened with extradition to the US for hacking into sensitive American computer networks from his home in North London.

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/ .




2 comments:

  1. 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.

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  2. It should be visible at

    http://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.

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