Dutch programmer will not be extradited to the US in Megaupload case

Bram van der Kolk, the suspect in the lawsuit surrounding content service Megaupload, will not be extradited to the United States. He will be tried in New Zealand, where he lives, as part of an agreement with New Zealand and US authorities.

There have been lawsuits for years against Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom, right-hand man Mathias Ortmann and main programmer Van der Kolk. They are suspected of copyright infringement and money laundering in the United States.

In 2012, Megaupload was taken offline at the behest of the FBI. The American film industry is said to have lost almost 500 million euros because illegal copies of films were shared via the service. All three now live in New Zealand, where they object to extradition.

Now, ten years later, Van der Kolk and Ortmann have reached an agreement with the authorities there. “New Zealand is now our home and we want to stay there,” they wrote in a joint statement. “The lingering uncertainty surrounding the extradition case has taken effect and we want to move forward.”

The suspects are charged in New Zealand with similar crimes for which they are being prosecuted in the United States. When the New Zealand courts hear the charges, the United States will withdraw the extradition proceedings against the men. It is not known exactly when this will happen.

Megaupload founder insists on innocence

Kim Dotcom failed to reach an agreement with authorities, but responded tension“I appreciate my old friends and partners who have found a solution to this problem,” wrote †. “They can avoid the dreaded American justice system. I’m happy for them and wish them the best.”

Dotcom now says he is the last man left in ‘this fight’. “I will continue to fight because unlike my co-defendants, I will not accept the injustice done to us. Many leaders of major tech companies are in my boat if I go to jail for what Megaupload users have done on our site.”