Autism experts, politicians, lawyers and civil rights campaigners are urging Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, to intervene in the case of the British hacker Gary McKinnon so that he can be tried in Britain rather than being extradited to the US. McKinnon, recently diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome (AS), has exhausted all legal challenges but Smith can intervene on compassionate grounds.
McKinnon, 42, from north London, is accused of hacking into US military and Nasa computers and causing $700,000 damage. Having lost appeals against extradition to the House of Lords and the European court of human rights, he could be extradited to the US any day.
Karen Todner, his solicitor, said yesterday that she was still waiting to hear from the home secretary regarding a plea that he be allowed to stand trial in the UK. "I hope that she will be brave enough to make the right decision or, at the very least, ensure that he would be allowed to serve his entire term in this country," said Todner.
| He can stand trial in the U.S. and plead his case. We're not without compassion if there are extenuating circumstances. But isn't it suspicious that the perp was 'recently diagnosed'. |
Autism specialists are also calling on Smith to exercise her discretionary right. "I believe Gary to be 'guilty' of having AS," said Dr Luke Beardon, senior lecturer in autism at the autism centre at Sheffield Hallam University."That he hacked into the Pentagon is apparent; it is also crystal clear to me that he did this as a direct result of following the obsessional interest which drives him, with no malicious intent to harm the computers or any human beings whatsoever."
Sir John Stanley, Tory MP for Tonbridge and Malling, wrote to Smith earlier this month expressing his concern about the "one-sided nature" of the UK-US extradition agreement. Campaigners are due to protest against the extradition outside the US embassy in London on Sunday. |