Terror Law Adviser Slams McKinnon Extradition

Lord Carlile today sent a letter to the Home Secretary condemning the extradition of autistic hacker, Gary McKinnon to the US.

“Extraditing him now would be disproportionate, unnecessary and avoidable. The alternatives are not extradition or no prosecution: they are extradition versus domestic prosecution,” wrote the QC and Home Office independent terror law reviewer.

The Daily Mail newspaper published the former Liberal Democrat MP’s letter as part of its campaign on behalf of the hacker, who admitted hacking US military systems over seven years ago.

The US government has previously stated McKinnon was responsible for the “biggest military hack of all time,” which penetrated the systems of Nasa and the US Navy among others.

Lord Carlile also spoke out about the Aspergers syndrome sufferer’s plight last year, when former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith ordered his extradition to the US after previous legal attempts from US authorities went as far as the House of Lords and failed.

Today’s letter argues that the current secretary for home affairs, Jack Straw should reverse Smith’s decision and allow the hacker to be tried under UK, and not US law.

“Mr McKinnon has had the shadow of extradition hanging over him for some five years already, during which time he could have been tried, sentenced and perhaps served any prison term, were he to have been prosecuted in the UK,” added Lord Carlile.