"Will not go away"

Kim Dotcom defends himself against extradition to the USA

Kim Dotcom alias Kim Schmitz

(Bild: AP)

German internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom wants to defend himself against the threat of extradition from his home in New Zealand to the USA. The New Zealand Minister of Justice Paul Goldsmith had previously confirmed that he had signed a corresponding extradition order.

"I have carefully considered all the information and have come to the conclusion that Mr. Dotcom should be extradited to the US to face trial," the New Zealand Herald newspaper quoted the minister as saying. He had sought "comprehensive advice from the Ministry of Justice" on the matter.

"The fight goes on"
The founder of the former internet platform Megaupload, who became known as Kim Dotcom, is real name Kim Schmitz and has lived in the Pacific state since 2010. The USA wants to put him on trial for copyright infringement and money laundering on a large scale. If convicted, the 50-year-old could face decades in prison. He was combative on social media and declared: "I love New Zealand. I will not go away."

Ira Rothken, one of Dotcom's lawyers, wrote on X that work is currently underway to take the case to the Supreme Court of New Zealand and have it legally reviewed. "The fight for justice continues. The world is watching," Rothken wrote.

Legal tug-of-war
The entrepreneur, who was born in Kiel in 1974, has been involved in a legal dispute for years. There have already been several proceedings up to New Zealand's Supreme Court in Wellington to prevent his extradition.

Dotcom is one of the most colorful figures in the Internet world. He first appeared on the hacker scene in the mid-1990s. He became a millionaire many times over with the data exchange Megaupload. The company was financed by advertising and paid access for subscribers. At times, the site was one of the most popular websites in the world. 

The US Department of Justice accuses him of expressly setting up the site as a file-sharing platform for copyrighted content such as films, television programs and other files. He himself rejects all accusations and accuses the US authorities of waging a vendetta against him on behalf of the influential Hollywood film industry.

Just one more step of many
The entrepreneur lives under a different name. In February 2017, a New Zealand court ruled that he could be extradited - not for copyright infringement, but for fraud. However, there have been repeated appeals against this.

According to experts, it could take some time for the legal review planned by Dotcom's legal team to be completed. According to New Zealand media, the extradition order is "significant", but is merely a further step in a process that is likely to take years.