The British hacker who broke into US government web sites has lost his latest appeal in the High Court against his extradition to face trial.
Gary McKinnon has admitted hacking into the sites in 2001 and 2002, but denies he did with malice aforethought. Instead, he has said that he was looking for suppressed documents about UFOs.
The High Court judges said that extradition to face trial in the USA was lawful and proportional. If convicted of the offences, McKinnon could end up with a 70 year jail sentence.
Lawyers for McKinnon said that he suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome and is not fit to be extradited because of risks to his mental health.
The UK government and the Department of Public Prosecutions have insisted that he be extradited to the USA but opposition politicians and a number of other bodies have opposed the move.
