Home Secretary Theresa May today announced that the government is to block the extradition of Gary McKinnon to the US.

Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion, has led calls in Parliament to overhaul the US-UK extradition treaty, which many feel disadvantages British citizens.

Responding to the announcement today, Caroline said:

“The landmark decision by Theresa May today to block the extradition of Gary McKinnon is fantastic news for the campaign – and a tribute to the incredible efforts of Gary’s mother, Janis Sharp, in fighting for her son’s right to remain in the UK.

“It is deeply regrettable then, that other British citizens including Babar Ahmad and Talha Ahsan – detained in the UK without charge or trial for eight and six years respectively – were not extended the same fair treatment.

“That neither was tried on British soil before being extradited to the US earlier this month, despite the fact that any alleged offences are said to have been committed here, is completely unacceptable.

“These disturbing cases have helped to expose the alarming bias and injustice embedded in the US-UK extradition arrangements, which gives the US government disproportionate control over the fate of UK citizens.

“Almost a year ago, MPs voted on a motion to urgently reform the deeply flawed extradition arrangements. Despite today’s welcome announcement by the Home Secretary, we are still waiting for a fundamental overhaul of the extradition process.

“We cannot continue to allow British justice to be outsourced to the US – to uphold the rule of British law, the government must bring in the urgent legislation called for by parliament to reform this dangerously asymmetric treaty.”