This news story was first published in October 2016. In February 2018, the High Court in London ruled that Lauri Love should not be extradited to the US.
Barry Sheerman, MP for Huddersfield, signed a petition along with more than 100 other MPs. The petition was sent to President Barack Obama, asking him not to extradite Lauri Love, a British man with Asperger’s who was the main suspect in a hacking case.
Mr Love, who has Asperger’s, was suspected of hacking key US systems
The MP described Mr Love as “fragile” and “a man full of inspiration”. Mr Love faced up to 99 years in prison, if convicted, for allegedly taking large amounts of confidential data from US government systems, including those of the FBI, the US Army and NASA.
Because of Mr Love’s diagnosed health conditions, campaigners asked the authorities to let him stand trial in his home country, Britain.
The campaigners were worried about his safety if he was extradited, and the petition aimed to reduce that risk.
Mr Sheerman said he believed Mr Love would be in real danger if extradited. He urged the President to treat this as a special case and to take into account Mr Love’s physical and mental health, which made him very vulnerable.
These concerns were supported by medical experts, who said a trial in the US could put his life at risk.
Mr Sheerman also suggested that, used in the right way, Mr Love’s knowledge and talent could help fix security weaknesses in national systems.
Mr Love had been fighting extradition for three years. The month before this article was written, a judge approved the extradition request.
However, the MP was hopeful that the President could be persuaded to use his powers to withdraw the extradition request, given Mr Love’s health.
He added that a campaign was under way to persuade US senators to take the matter up with the President.
I am Ash and I celebrate Neurodiversity! Growing up with an elder brother with severe Autism was tough – but it has also taught me essential life lessons. I don’t believe that people with Autism are necessarily or have any disorder (except in extreme cases). They are just different! And that is something to be proud of! I am passionate about helping other families who may have Autism conditions in their family. So please reach out and drop me a note. I will be glad to help 🙂
