In spite of what appeared to be a decision from the United Kingdom’s Home Office to continue with the extradition of accused copyright-infringer Richard O’Dwyer to the United States, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales maintains that reports of the Home Office’s decision are false.
On Tuesday, V3 published a comment from U.K. Home Secretary Theresa May’s office saying that it would not halt the extradition of O’Dwyer, who is being sought to stand trial in the United States in spite of not committing any crime there and not having clearly broken any law in the United Kingdom. However, following the report, Wales took to Twitter to dismiss the statements from the UK Home Office and insisted that all accounts affirming the Home Office’s decision were incorrect.
In fact, he just about goes all out Braveheart on some of the people repeating that the U.K. Home Office won’t halt the extradition.
Home Office has sold out another Brit. Richard O’Dwyer to be extradited. Disgrace. #saverichard@jimmy_wales
@nickpickles rumor false please rt correction.. No response from Home Office yet
@jimmy_wales Hi: are you available for comment on a CNET story re: UK Home Sec declining to intervene in O’Dwyer case from your petition?
@zackwhittaker that is false. Home Secretary has NOT declined
@jimmy_wales Home Office sent a statement this morning.
@zackwhittaker your quotes are from a statement BEFORE petition was launched. Retract the story please, it is false.
@Crosbie That story is false. May has not responded yet. I am working to arrange a meeting with her. If she refuses, you will hear it.
Please RT: rumors going around that Home Secretary has declined are false.
@jimmy_wales Hi Jimmy. It’s not a rumour, V3 spoke to Home Office on Monday, and got their response to the petition. http://t.co/CwqhUiUl
@MadBennett They spoke to a spokesperson who merely gave them a copy of their pre-petition statement. The story is false.
Rumors today are premature misunderstanding.
Aside from correcting multiple journalists for reporting a statement that was provided to V3 about the O’Dwyer extradition and confidently claiming that statement is untrue, Wales says that his efforts to stop the extradition are far from over.
I remain confident that Theresa May will re-open the case in light of the public outcry. Rumors that she has told me no are false.
I am working to set up a meeting with Theresa May and expect that she will not say ‘no’ to that meeting.
@jimmy_wales Dont hold your breath, she is more than capable of blocking a meeting just to protect her agenda. #extradition
@alexanderhanff I don’t think so. She wouldn’t risk not even meeting me. The public backlash would be substantial.
Today I had lunch in London with Jimmy Carter and Richard Branson. I discussed Richard O’Dwyer’s case with them.
I hope that Wales’ insistence that the UK Home Office wouldn’t risk a public relations nightmare by not meeting with him has some merit. He’s obviously got some clout and given he has the ears of notables like Jimmy Carter and Richard Branson, hopefully he’ll be able to rally some high-profile names to add to the legion of internet supporters that have gathered around O’Dwyer’s cause.
Then again, maybe the UK Home Office cares not for public opinion over sustaining cozy relations with the U.S. government.
At any rate, godspeed, Mr. Wales.
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