Glasgow graduate facing hacking charges will ‘kill himself’ if extradited to US

A man accused of hacking into a US computer system could commit suicide if extradited to the US, his father has said.

Lauri Love, 31, a Glasgow University graduate, faces charges of hacking into the US Federal Reserve but has said he will fight attempts to extradite him “all the way”.

Mr Love is due to appear in court today accused of stealing data from the US government and NASA.

Authorities in the US want to see him stand trial for cyber-hacking which could result in a maximum sentence of 99 years in prison.

Mr Love, who has Aspergers, said he will not travel to the US “under any condition whatsoever”. His father, Alexander, said he fears Mr Love will kill himself if extradited.

He told the BBC: “My son has Asperger’s and depression. He also suffers from very bad eczema and asthma which have psychological triggers and, at the very heart of it all, is his emphatic statement that he will kill himself.

“When Lauri says he will kill himself if he is taken to America, I believe he is stating something he intends to do.

“He needs the support of his family. He chooses to live at home because it’s the only place he feels safe. If the Americans have their way, a whole ocean will be put between us and him.”

He called on the Home Secretary, Theresa May, to intervene as she did in the case of Gary McKinnon who was also accused of hacking into US computer systems.

Mr Love said: “I would ask her if she feels she has an obligation and a duty of care to UK citizens to shield them from relatively barbaric treatment.

“I have not been accused of any violent offending but am facing potentially the rest of my life in a foreign prison where I have no friends and family. I think this is something to consider and try to avoid.

“We should assert the sovereignty of our legal system which actually gave birth to US law and we should consider ourselves intelligent and competent and capable enough to have our own legal system and not require the foreign powers step in.”

Mr Love said he has not seen the evidence against him and has been given no opportunity to contest the allegations, adding: “I have not been charged. I’ve been indicted in America, the Americans don’t give me any access to the evidence and I don’t really intend to have a trial over there.

“I’m hoping after the extradition is refused there will be charged here in the UK and at that point I can actually formulate a defence.”

Mr Love now uses his skills to enhance cyber security and said he is working with the Royal Household on an educational program for children. His father said he “was the poacher who has become the game keeper”.