Megaupload Founder Kim Dotcom Faces U.S. Extradition After 12 Years—Here’s What To Know
ForbesAug 15
New Zealand to Extradite Kim Dotcom to US
Above: Internet Party leader Laila Harre, Kim Dotcom and Glenn Greenwald speak to the media following revelations about New Zealand's mass surveillance at Auckland Town Hall on September 15, 2014 in Auckland, New Zealand. Image copyright: Hannah Peters/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
New Zealand's Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has signed an extradition order for Kim Dotcom, the founder of the now-defunct file-sharing website Megaupload, on charges of online piracy, a ministerial spokesperson announced Thursday.
In a statement, Goldsmith said he "decided that Mr Dotcom should be surrendered to the US to face trial" after considering all available information, adding that he gave Dotcom "a short period of time" to seek advice on his decision.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
That New Zealand has finally approved the US extradition request for Dotcom is a victory for justice and underlines the independence of the country's legal system. The flamboyant internet fraudster was the architect of a vast criminal enterprise, as indicated by the previous guilty pleas of two of his associates. With the New Zealand Ministry of Justice's decision, the largest copyright trial in US history is now set for a happy ending, and the case proves that there is no hiding from the long arm of US jurisdiction.
Establishment-critical narrative
The witch hunt against Dotcom proves that he is right in calling New Zealand a US colony. Similarly to the Assange case, the US is trying to punish the internet mogul for standing up for freedom of expression and using his popularity to criticize the corrupt and hypocritical US empire openly. Now, the entrepreneur is facing extradition to a country he has never set foot in, and where he can't expect a fair trial. The case is politically motivated, marking the latest example of the US justice system's bankruptcy.