McKinnon's extradition will help no one

Extradicting Gary McKinnon to the US to face charges of hacking into military computers is in nobody's interest.

Here we have a fragile man who meant no harm to anyone, seemingly unaware of the consequences that his actions would have. Yet the British government seems to be prepared to hang him out to dry in order not to upset a major ally.

But McKinnon is not likely to to get a fair hearing - the media coverage that has surrounded the case on both sides of the Atlantic have seen to that.

There are also genuine fears over whether McKinnon's mental health is in any state for him to endure a trial in the US. Prosecutors have already made aggressive plays to McKinnon's legal team, suggesting that he accept a plea bargain immediately or have them push for the harshest possible sentences - prison terms that would see him die on the inside.

But this week the High Court said it was not of "general public importance" that McKinnon have a chance to appeal against his extradition. His last hope now seems to rest in the European Court of Human Rights, though whether or not he'll be able to even take his case there is in doubt.

It isn't as if McKinnon is trying to avoid justice - the Director of Public Prosecution has rejected a proposal to let him stand trial in this country on charges of computer misuse.

The apparently inhumane decisions made by the High Court and the DPP smack of political influence - there must be pressure on the UK government to have McKinnon sent to the US. The lack of action from Prime Minister Brown suggests that he is not prepared to compromise the 'special relationship' with the US to protect a British citizen.

If McKinnon had actually acted in a malicious way - altered or detroyed files, published passwords online, or worse - then the clamour to have him prosecuted in the US would be understandable. However, he was simply looking for evidence of UFOs - the misguided actions of someone whose grasp of fantasy and reality have been blurred by a medically recognised condition.

Everything about the case goes against common sense - I can only imagine that hotheaded US military officials insisted on McKinnon's extradition at all costs because of their embarassment over how easily he managed to access their systems. McKinnon is technically competent, though no master hacker, so they must feel pretty silly. 

So the major factor at play here seems to be the desire to save face, and no one seems to be able to step in and insist that those who want McKinnon extradited grow up. Not Gordon Brown, not Nobel Peace Prize winner Barack Obama. For shame.