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A British computer expert, accused by Washington of "the biggest military hack of all time", was given permission on Monday to take his fight against extradition to the US to Britain's highest court.
Gary McKinnon was arrested in 2002 after US prosecutors charged him with illegally accessing government computers – including Pentagon, US army, navy and NASA systems – causing $700,000 worth of damage.
A district court ruled in May 2006 that he should be extradited, a decision upheld at London's High Court in April this year. But on Monday, three of Britain's top judges gave McKinnon permission to take his case to the House of Lords.
McKinnon's lawyers argue that sending him to the US would breach his human rights, be an abuse of the English court process and should be barred as his extradition was sought "for the purpose of prosecuting him on account of his nationality or political opinions".
If found guilty in the US, McKinnon could face up to 70 years in jail and fines of up to $1.75 million
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