Over at the Daily Mail, Nick Clegg picks up Lib Dem colleague Lord (Alex) Carlile’s support for Asperger’s sufferer Gary McKinnon, who faces health-threatening extradition to the US to face charges of computer hacking. Here’s an excerpt:
Despite what the U.S. authorities say, Gary McKinnon is no cyber-terrorist. He is a computer whiz with a serious medical condition. That is not to say he isn’t a criminal. His hacking into American military computers and leaving messages was foolish and illegal. No one, not even his supporters, are suggesting that his crimes go unpunished. … But Gary McKinnon has been hung out to dry by a British Government desperate to appease its American counterparts.
The Americans are hell-bent on extradition and making an example of him. He was told if he sat back, pleaded guilty and said nothing about his extradition, he could end up doing a shorter sentence in a British prison. But because he exercised his basic right to challenge his extradition, he’s now classed as a terrorist. … No fewer than three Labour home secretaries have played their part in this fiasco. … The only conclusion possible is that the British Government cares more about its relationship with the United States than it does about the welfare of its citizens. Where is this Government’s moral compass? The truth is this Government has lost its basic sight of what’s right and what’s wrong. …
Gordon Brown must give his personal guarantee that Gary McKinnon will be tried in Britain. Leaving him to rot on the other side of the Atlantic is nothing short of cruel.
You can read the article in full HERE.
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It’s great to see the Lib Dem leadership taking up this absurd case of lop-sided agreements with the US. They have a constitution to protect them from supine politicians. Here in the UK, we dont even have that, so New Labour get to sell us out and we have no defence!
Totally agree with above post.