Kim Dotcom Extradition Decision Was Lawful, Judicial Review Denied

14 hours ago

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Kim Dotcom's file-storage empire, Megaupload, was dismantled in a high-profile 2012 operation involving international law enforcement.
New Zealand's Supreme Court approved Dotcom's extradition to the U.S. in 2020, and the Minister of Justice authorized it in August 2024.
Dotcom applied for judicial review, claiming bias, bad faith, and disproportionate treatment compared to his former co-defendants.
His former colleagues, Mathias Ortmann and Bram van der Kolk, avoided extradition by striking a deal with New Zealand authorities.
Dotcom's judicial review raised six causes of action, including claims of political motivation, undue delay, and unlawful discrimination.
The High Court rejected all allegations, finding no evidence of bad faith, abuse of process, or unreasonable treatment.
The Court ruled that the disparity in sentences between Dotcom and his colleagues was irrelevant to the extradition decision.
The Police Commissioner's decision not to charge Dotcom in New Zealand was deemed a proper exercise of discretion.
Dotcom's legal options are now limited, with the exhaustion of appeals being the most likely outcome.

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