Nick Clegg’s Letter to US Attorney General

Gary McKinnon: Nick Clegg’s Letter to US Attorney General

30th November 2009

Nick Clegg, Leader of the Liberal Democrats yesterday wrote to The Honorable Eric H. Holder, Jr., Attorney General of the United States regarding this case of Gary McKinnon, see the full text of the letter below:

Sunday 29th November 2009

I am writing to urge you to halt the planned extradition to the US of British citizen Gary McKinnon. It is my strongly held view that Mr. McKinnon should be charged for his crimes in Britain, where he committed them.

As I’m sure you are aware, Mr. McKinnon suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome; a condition which makes him shy, obsessive and psychologically vulnerable. There is no dispute over the illegality of his actions, and Mr. McKinnon promptly confessed to his crimes when questioned by police. However, they were not the acts of an international cyber-terrorist. He is an amateur computer hacker without malicious intent and with no previous criminal history. There is now substantial evidence that his health is deteriorating and that the impact of extradition could make it significantly worse.

The British Government has insisted that it cannot intervene to halt extradition proceedings. I have been assured by various legal sources, including the Government’s chief terror adviser, Lord Carlile, that this is not the case. Despite being presented with new evidence about Mr. McKinnon’s risk of suicide, the Home Secretary has this week refused to halt the extradition on medical grounds. It is to the shame of the British administration that it now falls to your Government to act where they have failed.

I can only assume British Ministers have calculated inaction as their wisest course in terms of maintaining strong relations with your Government. The reality, however, is that extradition will only serve to sour the relationship between our two countries. The intended removal of this vulnerable young man has caused dismay among politicians, the popular press and public opinion at large. The case has also reignited controversy over the UK-US Extradition Treaty, which is widely perceived as imbalanced in terms of the standard of evidence required to seek extradition to the US.

I hope you will consider these arguments carefully. Rest assured that should Mr. McKinnon remain in Britain he will be tried to the highest standards of British justice.

I await your swift reply,

Nick Clegg MP
Leader of the Liberal Democrats

CC: His Excellency Louis B. Susman