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Amber Rudd approves Lauri Love extradition to US on hacking charges Amber Rudd orders Lauri Love extradition to US on hacking charges
(35 minutes later)
The home secretary, Amber Rudd, has authorised the extradition of Lauri Love to the US, where he is accused of computer hacking offences. The home secretary, Amber Rudd, has signed an order for the extradition of a British man to the US, where his lawyers believe he could face up to 99 years in prison if convicted of computer hacking charges.
Love, who has Asperger’s syndrome, is alleged to have stolen huge amounts of data from US agencies including the Federal Reserve, the US army, the Department of Defence, Nasa and the FBI in a spate of online attacks in 2012 and 2013. Lauri Love is accused of stealing large amounts of data from US government agencies such as the Federal Reserve, the army, the Department of Defence, Nasa and the FBI in a spate of online attacks in 2012 and 2013.
US authorities have been fighting for the 31-year-old, who lives with his parents near Newmarket in Suffolk, to face trial over hacking charges, which his lawyers say could lead to a sentence of up to 99 years in prison if he is found guilty. The 31-year-old activist, who has Asperger’s syndrome, lost his legal challenge to avoid extradition in September, and on Monday the Home Office said the necessary order allowing his removal had been signed after Rudd “carefully considered all relevant matters”.
A Home Office spokesman said: “On Monday 14 November the secretary of state, having carefully considered all relevant matters, signed an order for Lauri Love’s extradition to the United States. The Home Office said Love “has been charged with various computer hacking offences which included targeting US military and federal government agencies”. He has 14 days to appeal against the order and is expected to do so.
“Mr Love has been charged with various computer hacking offences which included targeting US military and federal government agencies.” Love, who also has depression and eczema, had argued that his health means a jail term in the US could drive him towards a mental breakdown or suicide.
More details soon … However, the district judge Nina Tempia said in her ruling on 16 September that Love could be cared for by “medical facilities in the United States prison estate”.
She said he faced “extremely serious charges” and, while she accepted he suffered from “both physical and mental health issues”, she believed provision for his condition was adequate in the US.
US authorities have been fighting for Love to face trial there. He could face proceedings in three different US jurisdictions. Rudd had been given a deadline of 16 November to decide whether or not to order his extradition.
It is alleged that between October 2012 and October 2013, Love placed hidden “shells” or “backdoors” within networks, allowing for confidential data to be stolen. He is accused of causing millions of dollars’ worth of damage.
Love’s father, Alexander, said in response to Rudd’s decision: “It was going to happen – it was inevitable – but it’s still painful. I cannot begin to express how much sorrow it causes me. All we are asking for is British justice for a British citizen.”
Barry Sheerman, one of more than 100 MPs who signed a letter calling on Barack Obama to block Love’s extradition, said he was “deeply disappointed”.
“We are still keeping up the pressure. We are getting more and more MPs to sign the letter to President Obama,” the Labour MP for Huddersfield said. “The pressure continues, we won’t give up.”