British hacker's extradition delayed
British computer hacker Gary McKinnon's extradition delayed
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By Alistair Potter. |  |
Saturday, 17, Oct 2009 01:49
By Richard James.
A British computer hacker has been given more time to contest his controversial extradition to the United States.
The Home Office confirmed a decision had been made to delay extraditing Gary McKinnon pending a review of fresh psychiatric evidence.
Last week Mr McKinnon, who suffers from Asperger's syndrome, was refused permission to take his case to the newly formed supreme court.
He was then given 14 days to appeal to the European Court, but lawyers for the Home Office have now agreed to consider new evidence and put the two week deadline on hold.
The Times quotes Mr McKinnon's lawyer, Karen Todner, as saying: "We do take some hope from this.
"It is the first time that [home secretary] Alan Johnson will have a proper opportunity to consider the reports in this case and it shows that he is taking it seriously. In the meantime we don't want to be hammering on his door."
Mr McKinnon, from North London, is wanted by US authorities after hacking it to confidential military computers.
They claim he hacked into 97 computers and caused almost £500,000 worth of damage.
The 43-year-old, however, claims he was simply looking for information on UFOs.
If convicted in the US, he could face up to 70 years in prison.