Alleged computer hacker Lauri Love has won his High Court appeal against his extradition to the US.
Mr Love, 33, from Stradishall, Suffolk, was first arrested in October 2013 on suspicion of hacking into FBI, US Central Bank and Nasa systems.
Appeal judges said extradition would be “oppressive by reason of his physical and mental condition”.
They urged the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to prosecute Mr Love, who has Aspergers syndrome, in England.
Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett and Mr Justice Ouseley said Mr Love, who also has depression, “did not seek impunity for the acts alleged against him, but contended that he should be tried and, if convicted, sentenced in the United Kingdom”.
They said: “We accept that the evidence shows that the fact of extradition would bring on severe depression, and that Mr Love would probably be determined to commit suicide, here or in America.”
Mr Love is alleged to have stolen huge amounts of data from US agencies, including the Federal Reserve, the US army, the defence department, Nasa and the FBI in a spate of online attacks in 2012 and 2013.
However, his supporters had warned if he was extradited there was a “high risk” he would kill himself.
The judges urged the Crown Prosecution Service to work with US authorities because of “the gravity of the allegations in this case, and the harm done to the victims”.
They added that “if proven, these are serious offences indeed”.
The United States authorities now have 14 days to lodge a request for an appeal hearing at the UK Supreme Court.
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Source: BBC