Tuesday 12 February 2019
Lauri’s PPA ruling will be handed down at 10am on 19 February at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
Court considers whether Lauri Love should get his computers back.
Lauri Love has told Hendon Magistrates’ court that, one year after the threat of extradition to the United States was lifted, the National Crime Agency should return computers seized in October 2013.
Love brought a civil case against the National Crime Agency under the Police Property Act of 1897. The NCA told the court that Love was under investigation. At issue are three computers and two external storage devices that were taken from Lauri’s family home nearly five and a half years ago.
District Judge Margot Coleman’s decision has been reserved to Tuesday 19 February. The ruling will be handed down at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
Lauri Love said:
“This case is important to me but it has significant ramifications for everyone. The use of strong information security - ie. cryptography - should not be a reason to deprive people of their personal data.”
“I would be happy if a side effect of this action is that the NCA recognise that they cannot do nothing indefinitely. At some point I would like to be able to travel internationally and get on with the rest of my life.”
Lauri Love has never faced charges in the UK.
On 5 Februrary 2018, the High Court ruled that Love would not be extradited to the United States to face charges related to #OpLastResort, the series of online protests that followed the death of US computer scientist Aaron Swartz in January 2013.
Despite the recommendation of the High Court that British authorities "bend their endeavours" to a UK prosecution, Lauri Love and his legal team have heard nothing in the year that has elapsed since the appeal ruling. Love, who holds a Finnish passport and has close family in that country, is not able to travel while his legal situation remains unclear.
— Naomi Colvin.
The Courage Foundation runs Lauri Love’s official defence fund.
Official website - Courage Foundation
