Government 'stops clock' on McKinnon extradition
New hope for NASA hacker
By Computerworld UK reporter | Computerworld UK | Published: 08:47, 28 October 2009
Home secretary Alan Johnson has “stopped the clock” on the extradition of NASA hacker Gary McKinnon to the US.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday The home secretary said McKinnon’s human rights had to be respected and that he would examine new medical evidence “very carefully” before deciding whether to proceed with extradition
New medical evidence was been submitted to Johnson earlier this month by McKinnon's attorney, Karen Todner. McKinnon suffers from depression and Asperger's Syndrome, a neurological disorder related to autism.
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If the Home Office allows McKinnon's extradition to proceed, he has 14 days to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, Todner said.
The Home Office has received the evidence but does not have a deadline for making a decision, according to a spokesman.
On 9 October, the High Court denied McKinnon the chance to take his case to the new Supreme Court. McKinnon sought to join an appeal against extradition filed by the attorney of Ian Norris, a British businessman facing charges in the US. for alleged involvement in a cartel.
McKinnon was indicted for hacking into 97 military and NASA computers between February 2001 and March 2002. He could face up to 60 years in prison.
