McKinnon extradition appeal
p2pnet.net news:- British home secretary John Reid has already acceded to American demands to extradite Gary McKinnon for trial in the US
A self-described ‘bumbling computer nerd,’ McKinnon says when he penetrated 97 American systems, he was looking for evidence of a UFO cover-up. But the US says he caused millions of dollars worth of damages and wants him close to hand.
His lawyer, Edmund Lawson QC, says McKinnon has been subjected to “improper threats” and in the US, would face the prospect of an unknown length of time in pre-trial detention, with no likelihood of bail. And if he’s found guilty, he’d, “face a very long prison sentence,” possibly 45 years, or even longer, the BBC has Lawson declaring.
“There was also the prospect that he would not be allowed to be repatriated to serve part of that sentence at home in the UK,” says the story, adding:
“Mr Lawson said the US authorities had made threats during the plea bargaining attempt in 2003 which infringed his family and private life rights under Article Eight of the European Convention on Human Rights.”
McKinnon was arrested in November, 2002, and when the hack was first discovered, “the U.K. authorities did not think they were serious enough to be worth prosecuting,” said CNET News last year.
And, “The only people who should be facing a trial and punishment are the morons who failed to lock down networks containing classified information,” thought p2pnet reader Tony. “This whole farce is nothing but shooting the messenger,” he said, “Who wants to bet that 90% of those unsecured systems he stumbled into are still unsecured right now?”
Meanwhile, McKinnon was taken ill as his appeal against extradition continued, says the Free Gary site. “The case has all become too much for him,” a friend says.
McKinnon is a Scot and interestingly, “a Scottish university is to launch Britainââ¬â¢s first degree course in computer hacking,” said the Times Online last summer.
Ot went on, “The countryââ¬â¢s only government-accredited ââ¬Åethical hackerâ⬠course will run at the University of Abertay, Dundee.
“Students will be taught how to crack the most sophisticated security systems with the aim of advising organisations how to protect their networks.”
Also See:
BBC – British hacker fights extradition, February 14, 2006
CNET News – Alleged NASA hacker’s appeal set for New Year, December 11, 2006
Times Online – Students to learn art of computer hacking, June 18, 2006
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