Sunday, September 13, 2009

British computer hacker with Asperger's appeals to UK high court in extradition case

From The Guardian in the UK:

Gary McKinnon (pictured), the computer hacker with Asperger's syndrome who broke into the Pentagon's computer systems in his search for proof of UFOs, is likely to discover this week whether his appeal against extradition to the US will be heard by the UK's highest court.

His legal team claim the new supreme court of England and Wales must hear the appeal under the European convention on human rights. They argue that because the court has agreed to hear an appeal against extradition to the US brought by Ian Norris, a businessman who has prostate cancer, that ruling should apply to their client.

The civil rights group Liberty, which supports McKinnon, said there may be "compelling personal reasons why a defendant should not be sent abroad for trial".

Janis McKinnon, Gary's mother, said her son was suffering from depression and friends were concerned he may be suicidal.