A Briton (British citizen) and alleged hacker accused of breaking into the computer systems of the armed forces and the US government systems to steal confidential data and information should be extradited to the United States, a judge ruled on Friday.
British Super-Hacker With Asperger’s Will Be Extradited To US
After two months of waiting, the Westminster Magistrates’ Court has released its final judgment. Lauri Love, accused of having illegally accessed the US government computer systems and the US military systems.
Judge Nina Tempia said that Lauri Love, 31, faces “severe charges,” and his extradition would not be disproportional. In the Westminster Magistrates’ Court, the judge, Nina Tempia, said that “I am satisfied that the extradition of Mr. Lauri Love is compatible with their human rights.”
The judge, Nina Tempia, also said that Lauri Love, who has Asperger syndrome, “suffers physical and mental problems,” but ruled that the US criminal justice system can meet his needs.
The US Prosecutors claim that Mr. Lauri Love was allegedly involved in “#OpLastResort,” is an online rally that is linked with the Anonymous hacking group regarding the murder and premature death of activist Aaron Swartz, who actually committed suicide in the year 2013 under the federal charges for data piracy.
But, Nina Tempia sent the case of Lauri Love to the Secretary of the Interior, Amber Rudd, who makes the final decisions on extraditions as Mr. Lauri Love has only 14 days to appeal the ruling to the Superior Court and remains on bail.
US prosecutors say that the 31-year-old Mr. Lauri Love got into the computer systems of the US Army, NASA, FBI, the Federal Reserve Bank, the Environmental Protection Agencies, the US Missile Defence Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) during 2012 and 2013, to steal confidential data and information which may be extradited to the United States.
However, Lauri Love’s lawyers say that Asperger’s has asthma and eczema and would be at risk of suicide if imprisoned in the United States. It means that Lauri Love’s lawyer, Tor Ekeland, says that Love should not be sent overseas due to his illness, while the US prosecutors believe that the young man Mr. Lauri Love is using his mental health problems as an excuse to evade trial.
Nina Tempia said in her decision that “I accept that Mr. Love suffers from both physical and mental health issues, but I have found the medical facilities in the United States prison estate … are such that I can be satisfied his needs will be comprehensively met by the U.S. authorities”.
Furthermore, a mother of another British hacker known as Gary McKinnon, who was also accused in the year 2002 of hacking into the Pentagon and NASA computer systems, also avoided extradition to the US-based on mental health issues.
Hence, Mr. Lauri Love would have hardly 14 days to file an appeal in the High Court for permission to challenge both the judge and the home secretary’s decision.
