McKinnon given leave to appeal hacking extradition

Alleged hacker Gary McKinnon has been granted leave to appeal his extradition to the US, where he faces prosecution for hacking into government computer systems.

The 37-year-old from West London was arrested in 2002 after US prosecutors filed charges against him that allege he illegally accessed 97 government computers - including those of the Pentagon, US Army, Navy and NASA - causing $700,000 (£354,355) worth of damage.

The stay of extradition was granted late last week by the House of Lords, the UK's highest court of appeal, on the grounds of the coercive nature of plea bargain discussions with the US prosecuting authorities.

Although the reasons for granting the appeal are not a matter of public record, the Lords reportedly authorised the appeal because of US prosecutors' threats between November 2002 and April 2003.

The US authorities reportedly said that, if found guilty, McKinnon would receive a tougher sentence if attempts to extradite were opposed, according to McKinnon's solicitors, Kaim Todner of London. This is despite the fact that the US authorities have since denied bringing such pressure to bear.

McKinnon's appeal will be heard sometime next year.

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