Gary McKinnon, the British hacker who broke into US government computers hunting for evidence of UFOs and fought a long fight against extradition, has been told that he will now *not* face prosecution in the UK.
Keir Starmer, the Director of Public Prosecutions, announced the decision, three months after Home Secretary Theresa May told the House of Commons that McKinnon would not be extradited.
The decision, which is unlikely to go down well with the US authorities, appears to end the controversial 10-year-long saga of Gary McKinnon's fight.
The 46-year-old hacker, who has been diagnosed as having Asperger's Syndrome, has had an impressive support group campaigning for him, with figures such as Sting, London Mayor Boris Johnson, former Beirut hostage Terry Waite, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, and Julie Christie amongst those who backed his fight against extradition.
And it's not just celebrities. In 2009, a Sophos poll of 550 IT professionals found that 71% believed that McKinnon should not be extradited to the USA.
What do you think of Gary McKinnon escaping charges in both the United States and UK? Is it the right decision? Leave a comment below.
Here are some of the past stories we have written about this fascinating case:
- Gary McKinnon saved from extradition after ten year fight
- Should having autism be a legal defence to hacking charges?
- Obama: Gary McKinnon's fate is in the hands of the British legal system
- Cameron: Decision on Gary McKinnon will be 'weeks rather than months'
- Nick Clegg appears to backtrack over intervention in Gary McKinnon case
- British Home Secretary reconsiders extradition of Gary McKinnon
- Hacker's mother stands against Jack Straw in UK election
- Hacker Gary McKinnon may not be extradited to USA after all
- Bad news for NASA hacker Gary McKinnon - extradition seems imminent
- UK Home Secretary "stops clock" on NASA hacker's extradition
- NASA hacker's extradition to USA delayed by British Home Office
- Hacker Gary McKinnon fails to have his case heard in front of UK Supreme Court
- Video: Gary McKinnon's supporters to lodge an appeal
- A bad day for NASA hacker Gary McKinnon
- Countdown for Gary McKinnon extradition judgement
- MP resigns over Gary McKinnon hacker case
- Date set for next chapter in Gary McKinnon case
- National Autistic Society petition Downing Street over NASA hacker extradition
- Julie Christie supports NASA hacker Gary McKinnon
- Terry Waite calls on USA to drop case against NASA hacker
- Sting supports NASA hacker Gary McKinnon
- Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, supports NASA hacker
- High Court to review NASA hacker's extradition order
- NASA hacker Gary McKinnon given a lifeline.. for now
- Live Aid concert for NASA hacker?
- The difference between Victor Faur and Gary McKinnon
- NASA hacker's Asperger's gambit fails to convince UK authorities
- NASA hacker Gary McKinnon loses final extradition appeal
- Last chance saloon for NASA hacker
- NASA hacker Gary McKinnon loses appeal against US extradition
- IT world split on whether Gary McKinnon should be extradited
- House of Lords to rule on appeal of "NASA hacker" Gary McKinnon
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Cool. Now free him and let him live his life.
I heard he only got in because he found out military top brass names (all public knowledge) and then guessed their passwords as "password". One of them had such a password! This is not really his fault, as any kid could have got in. I feel they just want to make a skapegoat out of him and put him away for a decade or so.
Free him? He's not in custody. Never has been.
I would send him over to the USA and then I would employ him to show the Pentagon where to beef up security thats what I would do...put his hacking to a good use of showing where the United States lacks security to make their systems hack proof
So I guess that means the UK will now become the world wide headquarters for hackers who want to hack into other countries and never get caught , and if they do , they will never be punished.. Let alone extradited.. So much for British Justice...if he had hacked the Russians he wouldn't have lasted 10 minutes .. Let alone 10 years..
Actually it sets a bad precedent.. They will now call it the McKinnon defense .. Wait till someone does it to the British , and see how they like it.