Autism Campaigners Appeal To President Obama On Gary McKinnon

Main Category: Autism
Also Included In: Litigation / Medical Malpractice
Article Date: 06 Aug 2009 - 14:00 PDT

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Autism campaigners Ivan Corea of the UK Autism Foundation and Kevin Healey Chairman of the Staffordshire Adults Autistic Society (who has Asperger's Syndrome) have issued a joint appeal on Gary McKinnon to President Barack Obama at the White House.

They have also launched a new online petition in support of Gary McKinnon who hacked into 97 America military computers at the Pentagon and Nasa between 2001 and 2002.

Lord Carlile, the Home Office's adviser on terror laws, said extraditing Mr McKinnon would be "cruel and unconscionable" when he could be prosecuted in the UK. Opposition Leader David Cameron said he remained "far from convinced" that extradition was the right course of action and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has stated that there was no reason why Mr McKinnon should not be tried in the UK.The autism campaigner in the House of Commons Lee Scott has also signed a letter written by MPs to President Obama. Gary McKinnon was recently backed by Cabinet member, Peter Hain, the Welsh Secretary.

Gary McKinnon is also supported by former Home Secretary David Blunkett, Mayor of London Boris Johnson, Sir Bob Geldoff, Dave Gilmour, Chrissy Hynde, Nick Hornby, Trudie Styler and human rights campaigner Terry Waite among a whole host of celebrities and charities. Ivan Corea and Kevin Healey have appealed directly to President Barack Obama on Gary McKinnon.

Ivan Corea said: ' UKAF has joined forces with autism campaigner Kevin Healey of SAAS in appealing to President Obama to show compassion and allow him to be tried in the UK. Gary McKinnon is no terrorist. He has Asperger's Syndrome. He admits he has done wrong - we maintain that autism is a very complex world and sometimes you have unexplained behaviour. Gary was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome by the eminent Professor Simon Baron Cohen. He says he was looking for evidence on UFOs. We urge President Obama to be compassionate where Gary McKinnon is concerned,' he said.

The UK Autism Foundation has joined forces with SAAS, the Autism Trust and others in setting up a new online petition in support of Gary McKinnon.

UKAF and SAAS are urging people to sign this new petition in support of Gary McKinnon. His lawyers have 28 days to appeal against the High Court decision.

Source
UK Autism Foundation