Hacker McKinnon: extradition delayed

London hacker Gary McKinnon, facing serious charges in the US, has been granted a temporary reprieve until August 28, when the European Court of Human Rights reconvenes and can make a decision on whether or not to block his extradition, pending his final appeal. Unfortunately, according to the U.S. Embassy, if McKinnon continues trying to avoid extradition it could eventually result in a longer sentence.

According to a judgement from the Lords Of Appeal if Mckinnon had taken the plea bargain deal offered him by the US authorities and pleaded guilty he could been sentenced to four years. In practice he might have served a total of only two years, six to twelve months in the US and the rest in the UK. As it is, if extradited and prosecuted in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, he could end up doing sixty years in an American prison.

According to the US prosecutors Mckinnon is alleged to have caused over $700,000 of damage and to have penetrated various confidential military networks. He claims he was only looking for evidence of UFO activity.

See also:

• McKinnon to be extradited to the US
• McKinnon's last ditch appeal to be heard by Lords

(trk)