2010-05-15

The Press Association: May under pressure over computer hacker case

May under pressure over computer hacker case

(UKPA) – 18 hours ago

The new Home Secretary has come under pressure to overrule her predecessor's decision to allow the extradition of London-based computer hacker Gary McKinnon.

Mr McKinnon's lawyers made "representations" to Theresa May on Thursday in the family's latest bid to stop him facing trial in the US.

A High Court judge is due to rule on whether Alan Johnson was wrong to allow the extradition.

Mr McKinnon's lawyer, Karen Todner, said: "Yesterday Kaim Todner made further representations to the new Home Secretary to ask her to intervene and prevent the extradition... We hope the new Liberal-Conservative Government will act upon their previous public statements that it would be unjust to extradite Mr McKinnon."

Both David Cameron and Nick Clegg have publicly condemned plans to send Mr McKinnon to the US - where he faces up to 60 years in jail.

Last year, Mr Cameron said that if Mr McKinnon had questions to answer there was "a clear argument to be made that he should answer them in a British court".

Mr McKinnon's legal team has been granted permission for judicial review of Mr Johnson's decision that sending him to the US for trial would not breach his human rights.

Authorities in the US want Mr McKinnon to stand trial for hacking into top secret military computers.

But the 43-year-old from Wood Green, north London, says he was looking for evidence of UFOs.

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