Obama urged to let suspect face trial in UK

Agroup of 105 British members of parliament (MPs) have asked President Barack Obama to withdraw a warrant for the extradition of an autistic Briton who is accused of hacking high-security US state computers.

Lauri Love, 31, who has Asperger’s syndrome, is accused of involvement in a series of hacks in 2012 and 2013 into computers at agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the US army, the Missile Defence Agency and the Federal Reserve.

Suicide risk

A London court approved his extradition in September despite warnings from his family, lawyers and supporters that he would be at risk of killing himself if sentenced to a lifetime in a US prison. In a letter to Obama, the 105 MPs from the ruling Conservative Party, the main opposition Labour Party and several other parties said they were deeply concerned about the case.

“Mr Love should face prosecution for any crimes committed in his own country where his suicide risk is exponentially reduced,” the lawmakers wrote, according to a copy of the letter sent to media yesterday.