Home secretary halts McKinnon extradition
By politics.co.uk staff
Hacker Gary McKinnon won two important battles today, both of which greatly reduce his chances of being sent to the US to stand trial.
The new home secretary, Theresa May, has halted the legal process so she can re-examine the impact of extradition on his health.
Meanwhile, the new coalition government confirmed it would look into aspects of the UK-US extradition process, which many observers say is lopsided.
The twin developments have raised the spirits of Mr McKinnon, who suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, and his extensive support network, who say he should not be sent to the US on health grounds.
The UFO-enthusiast admits breaking into several Nasa computer systems but denies causing damage. Ms May is the sixth home secretary to look at the case.
