Lauri Love facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lauri Love
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Love, 2023
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| Born | 14 December 1984 United Kingdom
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| Nationality | British, Finnish |
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Lauri Love (born 14 December 1984) is a British activist. He is known for his involvement with the computer group Anonymous. Love faced legal challenges from the United States regarding his computer activities. His case has been important for other similar legal situations, like that of Julian Assange.
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Early Life and Education
Lauri Love grew up in Stradishall, Suffolk, in the United Kingdom. His parents, Alexander and Sirkka-Liisa Love, both worked at a prison. His mother is from Finland, so Lauri has citizenship in both the UK and Finland.
After leaving sixth form college, Lauri worked for a short time. He then decided to serve in the Finnish Army for six months. After this, he became a conscientious objector. This means he chose not to serve in the military because of his beliefs. Instead, he completed another six months of service in a civilian role.
Later, Lauri attended the University of Nottingham in England. He left during his second term due to health issues. He then tried studying at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Again, he left in his second year for health reasons. While at Glasgow University, he took part in a student protest called the 2011 Hetherington House Occupation.
Accusations of Computer Activities
Lauri Love was accused by the United States of being involved in certain computer activities. These activities allegedly led to information being taken from various computer systems. Some of these systems belonged to government agencies in the United States.
He was formally accused in two separate legal documents in 2013 and 2014. These accusations claimed he was involved in taking large amounts of private information. The United States then asked for him to be sent to their country. This process is called extradition.
Extradition Hearing
An extradition hearing is a court process. It decides if a person should be sent from one country to another to face legal charges. Lauri Love's extradition hearing took place in London in June 2016.
During the hearing, Lauri's father explained that his son is autistic. He said Lauri was diagnosed with autism as an adult while serving in the Finnish Army. A psychologist named Simon Baron-Cohen also testified. He had diagnosed Lauri with autism in 2012. The psychologist argued that Lauri should not be extradited because of his autism. He also mentioned other health conditions, like eczema, psychosis, and depression.
Lauri Love himself testified at the hearing on 29 June 2016. He lived at home with his parents at the time. The Courage Foundation supported him during this legal process.
On 16 September 2016, a judge decided that Lauri could be sent to the United States. However, Lauri's lawyer immediately said they would appeal this decision. On 5 February 2018, a higher court, the High Court, agreed with Lauri's appeal. The judges ruled that sending him to the United States would be "oppressive." This was because of his physical and mental health conditions. This meant he would not be extradited.
Personal Life
In the late 2010s, Lauri Love was in a long-term relationship with fashion model Sylvia Mann.
