Free Scottish Hacker 'Solo'

[Stuart Cosgrove]

I was struck by this report in today's Scotsman about the Scottish hacker Gary 'Solo' McKinnon who facing 60 years in prison for hacking into US military systems with a dial-up modem. I'd welcome thoughts on how we can support his family's campaign?

The report begins: "PRESSURE is growing on the Home Secretary to step in and halt the extradition of a Scots-born autistic computer hacker who is facing up to 60 years in a US prison. Shadow justice minister David Burrowes MP was today set to put down a motion in parliament calling on Jacqui Smith to review the medical records of Gary McKinnon who is only weeks away from being sent to the US.

Mr McKinnon's supporters claim he was merely looking for information on his UFO hobby rather than being "the biggest military computer hacker of all time" as the US claims.

The supporters say the unemployed UFO obsessive, who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, has become a recluse and is on suicide watch after becoming depressed while awaiting his looming extradition.

Full url is http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland/Calls-grow-to-save-.4643340.jp

[Brian Baglow]

Given the incredibly short time he has left, we could try the existing channels - there's the facebook group 'Free Gary McKinnon', TheyWorkForYou will allow you to send a message to Jacqui Smith, there's also a Downing St petition: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/ExtraditionLaw/, or we could start a new e-petition and ask everyone on 38 mins to invite people to sign it, blog about it, stick a link on facebook, myspace, bebo and generally see how many people we can get stirred up. For added publicity we can stick tags at the bottom with the words ross, brand and katona...

[Stuart Cosgrove]

Will join the Facebook group.

[Stuart Cosgrove]

Looks like his song has gone to N0 5 in the My Space charts too. Free Solo.