UK Gives NASA Hacker More Time

The government has agreed to give NASA hacker Gary McKinnon more time before he is required to seek help from European courts in his quest to avoid extradition to the US to face charges for breaking into government systems.

According to BBC reports released this week, while the Home Office considers new evidence from McKinnon’s lawyers, it has agreed not to commence a 14-day count down mandated for any application to the European courts.

“On 12 October his solicitors submitted further representations to the Home Secretary and we are considering what response to give to this latest material,” the spokesperson told the BBC. “In the meantime, we have confirmed to his solicitors that we do not consider the 14 days for a Strasbourg application as running.”

McKinnon lost his legal battle in the High Court against extradition to the US on 9 October and it was believed that his only option was an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights which was only possible in a two week window from the UK ruling. But it now appears that McKinnon and his legal team have some breathing room before having to look for help from Europe. Butas the European Court refused to stop his extradition back in August 2008, things do not look good for a last-minute reprieve.

McKinnon is reportedly facing up to 60 years in jail in the US after he was indicted in late 2002 for hacking into military computers between February 2001 and March 2002. The US alleged his hacking caused it to shut down critical systems and networks in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, and caused damages of approximately £435,000.

In July 2006 the British government agreed that McKinnon would be extradited to the United States, but McKinnon and his family launched a determined and lengthy legal battle to keep him in the UK. His campaign has even managed to enlist the support of a number of Members of Parliament (MPs) and celebrities such as Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour and Sting.

Despite this support, in July this year McKinnon lost a High Court appeal against extradition to the US, despite his diagnosis with the neurological disorder Asperger Syndrome. And in a further blow today, the High Court has now ruled that McKinnon cannot appeal against his extradition to be tried in the US.