Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption "I really worry for the toll it's taking on my health, and my family's," said Lauri Love

An autistic man suspected of hacking into US government computer systems is to be extradited from Britain to face trial, a court has ruled.

Lauri Love, 31, who has Asperger's syndrome, is accused of hacking into the FBI, the US central bank and the country's missile defence agency.

Mr Love, from Stradishall, Suffolk, has previously said he feared he would die in a US prison if he was extradited.

A judge at Westminster Magistrates' Court made the extradition ruling.

Follow updates on this story and other Suffolk news

Earlier, his lawyer said his alleged hacking had "embarrassed" US authorities.

Tor Ekeland said the US government "had very, very bad security and these hacks utilised exploits that were publicly-known for months".

Image copyright PA Image caption Lauri Love spoke to members of the press outside Westminster Magistrates' Court before the hearing

Mr Love's lawyers said he could face up to 99 years in prison if convicted of the hacking offences.

Earlier he stood in the dock as district judge Nina Tempia ruled he could be extradited to the US, where he could face trials in three different states.

He was first arrested at home in Suffolk in 2013 and had computer equipment seized by British police, who then released him on bail.

He was not charged in the UK, where the investigation into him was dropped.

Mr Love's defence team argues his depression and Asperger's syndrome mean he should not be sent abroad, but US prosecutors say he is using his mental health issues as an excuse to escape justice.

In England and Wales, the maximum sentence for crimes such as those of which Mr Love is accused is two years and eight months.</s>Gary McKinnon’s mother has warned that an alleged hacker facing the same charges as her son will not survive if he is extradited to the US.

Asperger’s sufferer Lauri Love, 31, is accused of breaking into the FBI, the US Federal Reserve and other networks and stealing personal data while sitting at his computer in the UK.

His legal team say his case is ‘almost identical’ to that of Mr McKinnon, whose extradition was blocked by then home secretary Theresa May following a Daily Mail campaign.

A judge will rule today whether or not Mr Love can be extradited to the US, where he faces a possible 99-year jail term if convicted. But Mr McKinnon’s mother Janis Sharp warned that Mr Love would not survive in the US justice system. ‘He has Asperger’s, is nervous, scared and suicidal and is in a really bad way,’ she said.

‘I am worried he will be extradited and end up in an American prison … I worry that he won’t survive as American jails are terrible places. I just hope that Gary didn’t go through all of this for nothing.’

She added of Mr Love, who has been deemed a high suicide risk by medical experts: ‘He’s very intelligent but also naive, innocent and vulnerable. You’re putting someone gentle, who shies away from human contact, in a system with convicted criminals. He is terrified at the prospect of going to America.’

Mr Love, who is studying electrical engineering at Suffolk University, has spent the past three years in legal limbo.

The prison chaplain’s son from Newmarket, Suffolk, said he was ‘apprehensive but optimistic’.

‘I’ve been having weird dreams and trouble getting to sleep … I feel more for my parents,’ he told the Mail. ‘They’re at an age when they should have a quieter life.’ He added: ‘US prisons are not good for people with mental health problems.

‘If I am sent to an American jail, I don’t see anything positive happening after that.’

He said he hoped the precedent set by Mr McKinnon’s case in 2012 would encourage the judge to rule in his favour.

Mr McKinnon, who broke into Nasa and Pentagon systems faced similar charges. But Mrs May blocked his extradition because of the ‘high risk of him ending his life’.

The Rev Alexander Love, 63, said he often feared he would find his son dead.

Ben Cooper, Mr Love’s barrister has described him as ‘highly vulnerable’ and said extradition would be ‘unjust’.

Mr Love faces 12 counts of hacking between October 2012 and October 2013 across New York, New Jersey and Virginia.</s>A British superhacker should be extradited to the United States to face trial where he could be jailed for 99 years, a judge ruled today.

Asperger's sufferer Lauri Love, 31, allegedly to have stolen huge amounts of data from US agencies including the Federal Reserve, the Department of Defence, Nasa and the FBI in a spate of online attacks in 2012 and 2013.

American authorities have been fighting for the 31-year-old, who lives with his parents near Newmarket in Suffolk, to face trial over charges of cyber-hacking.

His case is 'almost identical' to that of fellow hacker Gary McKinnon, whose extradition was blocked by then Home Secretary Theresa May following a Mail campaign.

Mr Love, who plans to appeal to the High Court, stood in the dock, wearing a purple sash as a belt, as district judge Nina Tempia ruled he can be extradited to the US, where he could face the possibility of three separate trials in different jurisdictions.

'I'm going to extradite Mr Love but what I mean by that is I'm going to send his case to the Secretary of State,' Judge Tempia told the hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court, London.

He faces a possible 99-year prison sentence if convicted in America - but has the right to appeal against his extradition.

There were gasps in the court room as Mr Love was read the ruling, which followed a case hearing in June at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

He was told he had 14 days to appeal the decision.

The 31-year-old embraced friends and family, who appeared shocked and angry by the decision.

'If you have come for justice then you have missed it,' Mr Love told a crowd of press in the courtroom afterwards.

His father damned the laws that could see his son sent to America.

Reverend Alexander Love, a prison chaplain, said he often feared he would find his son, who has been deemed a high suicide risk by medical experts, dead when he returned home.

He said: 'I am obviously very upset. I always believed that to be here [in the UK] was to have won the lottery and I thought our laws were just.

'The judge has made a judgement on a law that is flawed. It is not right that my son has been taken away. It is not fair or just that a boy with mental health issues is taken away from his family and support network to the US.

'It is wrong and I hope the high court will be able to make that case. Our confidence is not in the legal system but in God.

'We have had a big discussion about who should be let into this country, but we need to have one about who should be taken out'.

Judge Tempia said Mr Love's rights under article eight of the European Convention on Human Rights - the right to a private and family life - were 'clearly engaged'.

But she added: 'In balancing the factors for and against extradition I am satisfied that the very strong counter-balancing factors required to find extradition would be disproportionate are not found in this case.'

She said Mr Love faces 'extremely serious charges for offences of computer hacking' and while she acknowledged his physical and mental health issues, she was 'satisfied' his needs would met by US authorities.

She added: 'I am satisfied Mr Love's extradition would be compatible with his convention rights and I send this case to the Secretary of State for her decision as to whether or not Mr Love should be extradited.'

Outside court Mr Love's solicitor Karen Todner said they were 'extremely disappointed' with the decision.

'Most of this judgment is about the defence case, the prosecution didn't actually call any evidence,' she told a huge pack of reporters.

'This is not the end of the road, we are going to lodge an appeal, we are still hopeful the appeal will be successful in the High Court.'

Ahead of Friday's hearing, Mr Love said he held little hope of justice if he was extradited, and suggested a jail term in the US could cause his health to deteriorate and would lead to a mental breakdown or suicide.

He and his family want him to face justice in the UK rather than the US, which he said 'coerces' people into pleading guilty to get reduced sentences.

Gary McKinnon's mother Janis Sharp warned yesterday that the hacker would not survive life in the US justice system.

'He has Asperger's, is nervous, scared and suicidal and is in a really bad way,' she said.

'I am worried he will be extradited and end up in an American prison, which doesn't have the same standards as jails in Britain.

'If this happens, I worry that he won't survive as American jails are terrible places. I just hope that Gary didn't go through all of this for nothing.'

Speaking about Mr Love, who has Finnish and British dual nationality, she said: 'He's very intelligent but he is also naïve, innocent and vulnerable.

'He is terrified at the prospect of going to America, but he's also hopeful that the courts will do the right thing. It is ridiculous to extradite him with no evidence.'

Mr Love, who is studying electrical engineering at Suffolk university, has spent the past three years in legal limbo, waiting to learn his fate.

Speaking to the Mail, the vicar's son, from Newmarket, Suffolk, said he was 'apprehensive but optimistic' about today's judgment.

'I've been having weird dreams and trouble getting to sleep,' he said. 'I've not been getting openly stressed, but it comes out in my eczema.

'I feel more for my parents. They're at an age when they should have a quieter life but I'm hoping that after the judgment things will be easier for them.

'U.S. prisons are not good for people with mental health problems. If I am sent to an American jail, I don't see anything positive happening after that.

'It'll be reasserting British sovereignty if I am not extradited and it's important that our courts are sovereign.'

Mr Love faces 12 counts of hacking between October 2012 and October 2013 across the states of New York, New Jersey and Virginia, and could face trials in three separate states in the U.S.</s>The computer activist Lauri Love will discover on Friday whether he is to be sent to the United States to face charges of hacking into the US military agencies, in the first test case since the extradition law was tightened by Theresa May.



The 31-year-old, who has Asperger’s syndrome, told Westminster magistrates court this summer that he may take his own life if he is forcibly removed to an American prison for trial.

The decision will be the first substantive test of the “forum bar”, introduced by May when she was home secretary. This allows courts to block extradition if it is in the interests of justice to have a person tried in Britain instead.



May’s reforms also narrowed the home secretary’s discretion to intervene in such highly charged cases. Introduced after a protracted political row over the case of the British hacker Gary McKinnon, the measures leave it up to the courts to decide whether risks to a suspect’s health should prevent extradition.

Love, who lives at home with his parents in Newmarket, Suffolk, is alleged to have stolen vast amounts of data from US agencies including the Federal Reserve, the Department of Defence, Nasa and the FBI in a series of online attacks in 2012 and 2013. 



His lawyers say he could receive a sentence of up to 99 years in prison if found guilty. Love and his family want him to face justice in the UK rather than the US, which he said “coerces” people into pleading guilty to get reduced sentences.

The US application to extradite him was heard in June. Giving evidence then, Love said that due to the pressure of plea-bargaining in the US justice system, more than 95% of cases did not end in trials but in guilty pleas. 



“I don’t entertain any prospects of justice in America,” he said. “If any crimes were committed, they were committed in the UK … I can’t imagine anything worse than being in a US prison.”

On Friday afternoon the judge Nina Tempia will decide whether Love should be extradited to face the possibility of three separate trials in different American courts.

His supporters say he would not be granted bail if transferred to the US. The electrical engineering student also suffers from severe eczema and depression.



The magistrates court hearing is also expected to set a date for Love’s case against the National Crime Agency over its retention of computer equipment it seized from him.

Love’s legal team is led by Ben Cooper of Doughty Street Chambers, who also acted for McKinnon during his extradition battle.</s>A hacker who allegedly infiltrated the computer systems of the FBI, the American Missile Defence Agency and Nasa is to be extradited to the US where he might face up to 99 years in jail if convicted – despite a British court hearing he has Asperger’s and may kill himself in prison.

Lauri Love, a prison chaplain’s son from Suffolk, has had indictments issued against him in three different US states.

Arrested at his parents’ home in the village of Stradishall, he faces accusations he repeatedly hacked US government systems, supposedly joked about “owning lots of Nasa sites” and allegedly accessed the personal information of 104,000 US Energy Department employees.

His lawyers have told reporters that Love, 31, who lives with his parents, could spend up to 99 years in a US jail if found guilty.

The computer science graduate’s father Rev Alexander Love, who himself works with vulnerable prisoners at risk of suicide, told Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London he feared his son might take his own life.

Ten days ago, Mr Love himself told a BBC interviewer: “If I went into a US prison, I don't think I'd leave again.”

But, in a case with strong echoes of hacker and Asperger’s sufferer Gary McKinnon’s ten-year fight against extradition, District Judge Nina Tempia told Westminster Magistrates’ Court: “I am going to extradite Mr Love.”

The McKinnon case had ended in 2012 when Theresa May, who was then Home Secretary, blocked Mr McKinnon’s extradition, saying he was a suicide risk. Love’s case will now be sent to the Home Secretary for formal confirmation of his extradition. It is understood that due to recent rule changes, the Home Secretary only has very limited powers to stop the extradition.

Love is also expected to launch a High Court appeal against the decision to extradite him.

He was granted bail on condition that he reports regularly to a police station and that his passport remains surrendered.

Love sat impassively in the dock as the judge announced her decision. He mother, however, put her head in her hands as his father tried to comfort her.

The decision was also greeted with an audible gasp from the public gallery.

A three-day extradition hearing in June had heard Rev Love plead with the court on his son’s behalf. The prison chaplain said the "bitter experience" of leading funerals for people who had killed themselves led to the regret that everyone has, "that they didn't see it coming".

"In Lauri's case," said Rev Love, "We do see it coming. That is the big difference.

"In regard to my son ... Lauri is somebody who strikes me as somebody who will do this. The probability is quite high. At times Lauri is in utter despair.”

Rev Love was backed by psychologist Prof Simon Baron Cohen who told the court "about two thirds of people with Asperger's have suicidal thoughts. The overwhelming priority is to keep him alive".

The US authorities have accused Love of substantially impairing the functioning of dozens of computer servers, causing “millions of dollars in damage” to government agencies, and planning to use social media to publicise his work.

One US indictment claimed he sent a message to friends saying he would like to announce one of his hacks “So it rolls along the morning news in US and gets Europe for the afternoon and evening.”

He was also accused of messaging associates: “LoL Nasa. Ahaha, we owning lots of Nasa sites … I think we can do some hilarious stuff with it.”

Love’s supporters, however, have always insisted his alleged hacking was not for personal gain and should be considered in the context of ‘online activisim’.

Before his arrest in October 2013, Mr Love had been an activist in the anti-austerity Occupy movement, becoming heavily involved in the seven-month Hetherington House occupation of 2011 at the University of Glasgow, where he was studying Computer Science and Physics.

Among the allegations against him is that he participated in the Anonymous-led 'Operation Last Resort' which protested against the US authorities’ alleged mistreatment of the coder Aaron Swartz who killed himself in 2013 while facing prison under computer misuse charges.

Swartz’s family blamed his death on “a criminal justice system rife with intimidation” that overreacted to “an alleged crime that had no victims.”

Since he was arrested when the National Crime Agency raided his parents’ home and confiscated computer equipment Love has stressed how he wants to put his hacking skills to good use.

He is thought to have launched a cyber-security consultancy start-up, and in May, in an article for Freud’s Cyber Security Journal that was reproduced in The Independent, he said: “I am a hacker. I like technology and I would like to use it to make the world a better place.”

Suggesting that “kids will always play pranks”, he added: “Most of what might be considered ‘illegal hacking’ is conducted without any criminal motive, any attempt to cheat or make malicious gain, but rather, it's the natural human desire and drive to understand the world in which we find ourselves.”

Arguing the need for more constructive approaches “that could help bring many of our brightest and best kids back into society”, he wrote: “The first thing is for people in the Government to realise that you can’t prosecute your way out of this problem.

“Just like with the drugs problem, people thought if you arrest enough people then they would stop using drugs, and that didn’t work - although it has taken about 60 years for people to start realising this.

“Locking people up is not going to help them.”

Emphasising his fears for his son in a BBC interview last month, Rev Love said: “"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.

"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."

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

Love’s supporters fear that he will not be granted bail in the US and will spend his time awaiting trial in an American jail.

Outside court, Love stressed that his battle against extradition was not yet over because he would be appealing to the High Court.

"Its not the end of the road," he said. "I would like to thank the judge for giving us an opportunity to win at a higher court and set a stronger precedent. It's just unfortunate for me and my family that we have to go through another six months of legal stuff.

"I really worry for the toll it is taking on my health and my family's health."</s>An autistic man accused by the FBI of hacking into US government computer systems is to be extradited from Britain to face trial, a court has ruled.

Lauri Love, 31, who has Asperger's Syndrome, is alleged to have broken into classified accounts of the US central bank, America’s missile defence agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The 31-year-old, from Stradishall, Suffolk, has previously said he feared he would die in a US jail if he was extradited.

He has said a prison sentence could cause his health to deteriorate and would lead to a mental breakdown or suicide.

But District Judge Nina Tempia, sitting at Westminster Magistrates' Court, today ruled he could be handed over to US authorities for trial.

Before the hearing, Love's lawyer Tor Ekeland said the US government was "embarrassed" about failing to secure its computer systems.

The computer and business law specialist, based in Brooklyn, New York, said America "had very, very bad security and these hacks utilised exploits that were publicly-known for months".
• Lauri Love: US government 'wants to crush Asperger's Brit hacker because they think he's part of Anonymous'

He said he thought the US government was "taking [its] embarrassment out" on his client.

Love’s case was heard in June over whether he should be extradited to face the possibility of three separate trials in different jurisdictions.

If convicted he could face up to 99 years in prison if he is found guilty, his lawyers say.

Judge Tempia said Mr Love's rights under article eight of the European Convention on Human Rights - the right to a private and family life - were "clearly engaged".

But she added: "In balancing the factors for and against extradition, I am satisfied that the very strong counter-balancing factors required to find extradition would be disproportionate are not found in this case."

She said Mr Love faces "extremely serious charges for offences of computer hacking" and while she acknowledged his physical and mental health issues, she was "satisfied" his needs would met by US authorities.

She added: "I am satisfied Mr Love's extradition would be compatible with his convention rights and I send this case to the Secretary of State for her decision as to whether or not Mr Love should be extradited."</s>AN AUTISTIC man accused of hacking into US Government computers can be extradited to the US from Britain to stand trial, a judge has ruled.

Former Glasgow University student Lauri Love , who has Asperger Syndrome , is alleged to have stolen huge amounts of data from US agencies including the Federal Reserve, the Department of Defence, Nasa and the FBI in a spate of online attacks in 2012 and 2013.

American authorities have been fighting for the 31-year-old, who lives with his parents near Newmarket in Suffolk, to face trial over charges of cyber-hacking, which his lawyers say could mean a sentence of up to 99 years in prison if found guilty.
• Security services lose fight to force alleged cyber hacker to hand over his secret passwords

Mr Love stood in the dock, wearing a purple sash as a belt, as district judge Nina Tempia ruled he can be extradited to the US, where he could face the possibility of three separate trials in different jurisdictions.

“I’m going to extradite Mr Love but what I mean by that is I’m going to send his case to the Secretary of State,” Judge Tempia told the hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, London.

There were gasps in the court room as Mr Love was read the ruling, which followed a case hearing in June at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

He was told he had 14 days to appeal the decision.

The 31-year-old embraced friends and family, who appeared shocked and angry by the decision.

“If you have come for justice then you have missed it,” Mr Love told a crowd of press in the courtroom afterwards.

Mr Love thanked “everyone for their support”, and said it is “unfortunate” for him and his family that they have to go through another six to 12 months of “legal stuff”.

Asked how he felt when he heard the decision, he said: “It is probably a psychological defence mechanism, I will defer processing it until I am in a safe environment and I know I won’t end up being acutely depressed and being useless to the world.

“I feel the disappointment and frustration just by the indication of people in the gallery.”

Mr Love said he was worried about the toll the case was having on his health and family, but he added: “We shouldn’t look upon this as merely the end.”
• Hacking group Anonymous threatens to release documents 'linking politician to prostitution' after homeless row

Ahead of Friday’s hearing, Mr Love said he held little hope of justice if he was extradited, and suggested a jail term in the US could cause his health to deteriorate and would lead to a mental breakdown or suicide.

He and his family want him to face justice in the UK rather than the US, which he said “coerces” people into pleading guilty to get reduced sentences.

The case was considered to be the first substantive test of the “forum bar”, which was introduced by former home secretary Theresa May to allow courts to block extradition if it is in the interests of justice to have a person tried in Britain instead.

The Rev Alexander Love, Mr Love’s father, said he was “obviously very upset” with the decision.

“I have been alive for a long time and all my life I have always believed to be born in these islands was to win the lottery of life,” he said.

“That in our society there was decency and fairness, that our laws were just. I don’t criticise the judge, she has sought to pass judgment on a law that is flawed.

LinkedIn leak: Hacker claiming to have log-in details of millions of users is selling the data online

“This is not right, that my son can be taken away.

“It is my belief that it is not fair or just that a boy who has mental health issues can be taken away from his family, who are his support network, merely to satisfy the desire of the Americans, to exact what I feel is vengeance on him.”

Outside court Mr Love’s solicitor Karen Todner said they were “extremely disappointed” with the decision.

“Most of this judgment is about the defence case, the prosecution didn’t actually call any evidence,” she told a huge pack of reporters.

“This is not the end of the road, we are going to lodge an appeal, we are still hopeful the appeal will be successful in the High Court.”</s>The computer activist Lauri Love has lost his appeal against extradition to the US, where he could face up to 99 years in prison for hacking into American missile defence centres and financial institutions. 



The 31-year-old, who has Asperger’s syndrome, has been granted leave to appeal against the ruling, which was handed down at Westminster magistrates court by Judge Nina Tempia on Friday afternoon.

Love was granted bail pending further legal action. Supporters stormed out of court shouting “kangaroo court”.

There were gasps in the courtroom as Love was read the ruling, which followed a case hearing in June. He was told he had 14 days to appeal the decision.

Concluding her judgment, Tempia said: ““Mr Love faces extremely serious charges for offences of computer hacking over a period of one year, from October 2012 to October 2013.

“I accept Mr Love suffers from both physical and mental health issues, but I have found the medical facilities in the United States prison estate, on arrival and during any sentence if he is convicted available to him, are such that I can be satisfied his needs will be comprehensively met by the US authorities.

“I am satisfied Mr Love’s extradition would be compatible with his convention rights and I send this case to the secretary of state for her decision as to whether or not Mr Love should be extradited.”

Love embraced friends and family, who appeared shocked and angry by the decision.

“If you have come for justice then you have missed it,” Love told a crowd of press in the courtroom afterwards.

He added that he had not yet read the judgment and would “delay processing it until he was in a safe place”.

“It may simply be that this us such an important case that it has to be settled at a higher court.”

His father, the Rev Alexander Love, said: “I don’t criticise the judge. She has just acted on a law that is flawed.”

Outside the court, Karen Todner, Love’s solicitor, said she was very disappointed by the district judge’s ruling. She pledged to appeal against the decision, initially at the high court and, if necessary, to the supreme court and eventually the European court of human rights in Strasbourg.

“I feel awfully disappointed,” Todner said. “I thought we had done enough. I’m hopeful that the higher courts will consider the human rights issues.”

Before any legal appeals are launched, the home secretary must first authorise Love’s extradition.

“This is not the end of the road,” Todner said. “We are going to lodge an appeal.” She said the legal battle could last more than a year. “I was in and out of courts for 10 years with Gary McKinnon.”

Ahead of Friday’s hearing, Love said he held little hope of justice if he was extradited, and suggested a jail term in the US could cause his health to deteriorate and would lead to a mental breakdown or suicide.

He and his family want him to face justice in the UK rather than the US, which he said “coerces” people into pleading guilty to get reduced sentences.

The case was considered to be the first substantive test of the “forum bar”, which was introduced by Theresa May when she was home secretary to allow courts to block extradition if it is in the interests of justice to have a person tried in Britain instead.</s>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 (FBI), the U.S. army, the Missile Defense Agency and the Federal Reserve.

He faces a lifetime in prison in the United States if found guilty, a fate which he has said could lead him to taking his own life.

"If you're here for justice, you missed it," he said quietly as he emerged from the defendants' box in court after the verdict was announced.

U.S. authorities say Love was connected to Anonymous, an international group of hackers, and argued his actions had caused millions of dollars' worth of damage.

"I accept Mr Love suffers from both physical and mental health issues but I have found the medical facilities in the United States prison estate ... are such that I can be satisfied his needs will be comprehensively met by the U.S. authorities," judge Nina Tempia said in her ruling.

Love's U.S. lawyer Tor Ekeland said the U.S. penal system would "crush" his client who suffers episodes of depression and psychosis.

"They want to destroy him because they want to use him as an example," Ekeland told Reuters.

The judge's decision must be agreed by Britain's Home Secretary (interior minister) and Love's lawyers said they would launch an appeal if it was ratified.

Love, wearing a tartan flat cap and with a purple sash for a belt for the hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, twisted his hands with nerves before the ruling. His face and neck were red with sores from eczema as he embraced supporters.

He said he would defer processing the ruling until he was in a "safe environment". He left the court on bail. His father Alexander, a prison chaplain, said the law applied to his son was flawed.

"It is not fair or just that a boy who’s got mental health issues can be taken away from his family who are his support network merely to satisfy the desire of the Americans to exact what I feel is vengeance," he said.

Love's legal team had argued he should face any charges in Britain, pointing to new rules that make it easier for British courts to try people for crimes committed there but involving other countries.

Those rules were introduced in 2012 after the extradition to the United States of Scottish hacker Gary McKinnon was blocked by then-Home Secretary Theresa May, who is now Prime Minister.

McKinnon, who also had Asperger's, said he broke into U.S. state computers while on a "moral crusade" to find classified documents about UFOs. May said he was seriously ill and extradition would violate his human rights.</s>An autistic man accused of hacking into US Government computers can be extradited to the US from Britain to stand trial, a judge has ruled.

Lauri Love, who has Asperger Syndrome, is alleged to have stolen huge amounts of data from US agencies including the Federal Reserve, the Department of Defence, Nasa and the FBI in a spate of online attacks in 2012 and 2013.

Love is a former student at the University of Glasgow and was a prominent figure in the 2011 staff and student-led Hetherington House Occupation against cuts to higher education funding.

American authorities have been fighting for the 31-year-old, who lives with his parents near Newmarket in Suffolk, to face trial over charges of cyber-hacking, which his lawyers say could mean a sentence of up to 99 years in prison if found guilty.

Mr Love stood in the dock, wearing a purple sash as a belt, as district judge Nina Tempia ruled he can be extradited to the US, where he could face the possibility of three separate trials in different jurisdictions.

“I’m going to extradite Mr Love but what I mean by that is I’m going to send his case to the Secretary of State,” Judge Tempia told the hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, London.

READ MORE: Insight: Lauri Love - the making of a hacker

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The United Kingdom agrees to allow alleged hacker Lauri Love to be extradited to the United States.