In a letter from the Executive Director Anthony Romero to the Foreign Secretary, the civil liberties group state:
“…that all people facing extradition either to or from the US should only be sent to face trial in a foreign country after there has been meaningful judicial review”
The ACLU support for Gary McKinnon comes on the same day that Liberty staged a protest outside the American Embassy and presented the new American Ambassador with a hamper welcoming him to his new role. The hamper contained a letter from Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, the ACLU letter, ‘don’t let Gary go’ paper planes from the protest, a copy of the Magna Carta and the Human Rights Act as well as produce representing the countries of the United Kingdom.
Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty said:
“"The intervention of Liberty's sister, the American Civil Liberties Union, proves that Britain's Extradition Act is an international embarrassment. Vulnerable people like Gary McKinnon can be bundled off to other countries when they ought to be dealt with at home.
Janis Sharp's campaign for fairness for her son Gary has touched the hearts of parents everywhere. If Parliament doesn't amend Britain's rotten Extradition Act to put discretion and common sense back into the system, other vulnerable sons and daughters are bound to suffer."
Liberty, who campaign against unfair extradition in all its forms, argues that where conduct constituting a crime occurs in the UK then a British court should be allowed to refuse extradition if it’s in the interests of justice to do so. Liberty also holds that the requesting country should have to make out the case for extradition in a British court before the request is granted.
Contact: Mairi Clare Rodgers on 020 7378 3656 or 07973 831128
Notes to editors
- For photographs of the protest contact: Mairi Clare Rodgers on
mcrodgers@liberty-human-rights.org.uk - The American Civil Liberties Union was founded in 1920 and works through the courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed in the Constitution and laws of the United States.
- The full contents of the welcome hamper to the Ambassador were; a welcome letter from Liberty Director Shami Chakrabarti, a copy of the letter from the ACLU to the Foreign Secretary, Bushmills Whiskey from Northern Ireland, Scottish shortbread, English breakfast tea, Welsh Caerphilly cheese, Liberty ‘don’t let Gary go’ paper planes, copies of both the Magna Carta and the Human Rights Act.
- To help Liberty’s campaign against unfair extradition and for your ‘don’t let Gary go’ plane visit
http://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/issues/extradition/flight-warning-take-action.shtml 
