Government urged to renegotiate extradition deals with United States and EU

originally by: The Guardian
19th June 2011

A parliamentary committee has urged the government to renegotiate its much-criticised extradition treaties with the US and EU to avoid future cases like that of Gary McKinnon, the hacker who has spent nine years fighting removal to America. Swift action was needed in particular to make sure Britons were not sent overseas for trial over alleged offences committed wholly or mainly inside the UK or, as is currently the case, without any evidence being offered against them, the joint committee on human rights (JCHR), which comprises MPs and peers from all three major parties, concluded following an inquiry.

Such measures would prevent future cases like that of McKinnon, who has become a focal point for opposition to the laws. McKinnon’s supporters argue that any trial should take place in the UK given that his hacking activities were undertaken from a bedroom in north London.

The issue has been highlighted in a more recent case, in which Richard O’Dwyer, a Sheffield undergraduate, faces extradition to the US for operating a website linking to other sites carrying pirated TV shows and films – a practice that is possibly not even an offence in Britain.

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Other News:

Richard O’Dwyer facing extradition to US after arrest for copyright offences
18th June 2011

Essex ‘hacker’ Ryan Cleary’s mother tells of ‘suicide’ threat
23rd June 2011

Posted by Gaynor Kuye on 27/06/2011. Filed under Human Rights,Policy & Reform. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry