New medical evidence could stop autistic hacker's extradition

The home secretary, Alan Johnson, has pledged to examine new medical evidence in the case of computer hacker Gary McKinnon "very carefully" before approving his extradition to the US on charges of breaking into the Pentagon's military networks.

Johnson told MPs he had "stopped the clock" on proceedings to give McKinnon's lawyers time to consider medical reports and make legal representations.

The home secretary was also pressed to delay further until an investigation into the US-UK extradition treaty had been carried out by the Commons home affairs select committee.

The 43-year-old, from Wood Green, north London, suffers from Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism, and says his hacking was aimed at nothing more than searching for reports of UFO sightings. His supporters fear his health would suffer in a maximum security jail in the US.

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/26/garry-mckinnon-extradition-alan-johnson