A Briton is taking his fight against US extradition for allegedly carrying out the "biggest military computer hack of all time" to the House of Lords.

Glasgow-born Gary McKinnon, a systems analyst, is accused of gaining access to 97 US military and Nasa computers from his north London home.

Known as Solo, he was arrested in 2002 but never charged in the UK.

Ex-Home Secretary John Reid Four artists up for Turner Prize ...
India to repatriate ill UK inmate ...
Singer Doherty is sent to prison ...
Livingstone cleared on donations ... granted the extradition request but lawyers argue the move would breach his human rights.

Mr McKinnon's legal team argued at the High Court in London in 2007 that he was subjected to "improper threats".

If extradited, they said, he would face an unknown length of time in pre-trial detention, with no likelihood of bail.

They argued he would face a long - about 45-year - prison sentence, and might not be allowed to serve part of it in the UK.

But two High Court judges said they could find no grounds for appeal.

The Law Lords will examine alleged threats by US authorities, including one by New Jersey prosecutors that Mr McKinnon "would fry".

He has never denied accessing the computer networks between February 2001 and March 2002.

Mr McKinnon has always maintained he was motivated by curiosity and only managed to get into the networks because of lax security.

(BBC)

<< Back