Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom is this month appealing a decision that makes him eligible for extradition and he wants the proceedings to be live streamed.
In some countries this would be seen as an oddity but in New Zealand, where the appeal hearing will be held and where Dotcom is currently a resident, it isn’t.
“All courts nationwide allow cameras and the recording of proceedings, as long as there are no serious privacy breaches, compromising of witnesses, or risks to the right to a fair trial,” reports TorrentFreak.
The New Zealand Chief Justice requested a report from various district and high court judges outlining guidelines for recording in court. The report found that 93% of the judges that contributed had not experienced an instance where recording in court had not resulted in a fair trial.
However, according to Dotcom, the United States government, which has been trying to extradite him for years, doesn’t want the world to have access to the proceedings.
The U.S. Government has asked the New Zealand High Court not to allow live-streaming of my global interest copyright hearing. Worried? :-)
— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) August 24, 2016
The Megaupload founder tweeted a day later saying:
The US Government wants to stop live streaming because they don't want you to see the giant egg on their faces when they get owned in court.
— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) August 25, 2016
And then a little later asked his 496 000+ followers whether they wanted to see his hearing live streamed.
Tell the Judge what you want. Do you want live streaming of my extradition hearing?
— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) August 25, 2016
At the time of writing its unclear whether we will be able to watch Dotcom fight extradition online but he has stated that if he loses the appeal he will take the matter to the Supreme Court.
All of this has to make you wonder whether the US government will ever get their hands on Dotcom.
[Via – TorrentFreak] [Image CC BY 2.0 jenipur13]