Nasa hacker fights extradition to the US

Gary McKinnon, the Brit accused of hacking into Nasa and US military networks, has begun his appeal in the High Court against a court decision to extradite him to the US.

McKinnon - not present in court today due to "medical problems" - was arrested in the UK in June 2005 for hacking into 97 government computers during a 12-month period starting in February 2001.

It is not unreasonable to assume that if Mr McKinnon is extradited to the US then he will spend the rest of his life in a US prison.

A court ruled last year that the computer expert can be extradited to the US to face charges, despite McKinnon's fears of an indefinite imprisonment in Guantanamo Bay if tried under the US' anti-terrorism laws.

Edmund Lawson, the barrister defending McKinnon, told a hearing at London's High Court: "It is not unreasonable to assume that if Mr McKinnon is extradited to the US then he will spend the rest of his life in a US prison."

Lawson added that the possibility of McKinnon having no social contact with friends or family for the rest of his life should be viewed as a "daunting prospect" for him.

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McKinnon's defence solicitors, Kaim Todner, said in a statement the US had subjected McKinnon to "coercive plea bargain tactics specifically in order to intimidate him into surrendering voluntarily to the US and pleading guilty".

The firm added the US authority's conduct amounted to "an abuse of the extradition court's process" and the High Court should intervene to stop an extradition based on "draconian threats".

The court proceedings are due to finish today but it is uncertain when a verdict will be reached.