Ms. May told Parliament that, having considered medical and legal advice, she "concluded that Mr. McKinnon's extradition would give rise to such a high risk of him ending his life that a decision to extradite would be incompatible with Mr. McKinnon's human rights."
She added that it is now up to British prosecutors to determine whether they want to pursue a case against Mr. McKinnon in the U.K. courts. A Crown Prosecution Service spokeswoman said: "We will carefully consider Gary McKinnon's case and come to a decision as soon as possible."
Ms. May's decision follows a protracted public debate in the U.K. about the extradition treaty with the U.S., which critics in Britain say makes it much easier to extradite people from the U.K. than from the U.S. A former U.K. appeals-court judge concluded late last year following an independent review of the law that the treaty was balanced.
