Kim Dotcom says he'll appeal the extradition order against him. Photo: RNZ / LUKE MCPAKE
Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom claims New Zealand is being forced to foot the bill for his extradition so that the United States can make an example of him.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has signed the German-born businessman's extradition order to the United States, where he faces criminal charges relating to the defunct website Megaupload.
The site allowed file-sharing of copyrighted material including pirated movies, TV programmes and songs and generated millions of dollars in revenue.
US authorities say Dotcom and three associates cost record companies and film studios in excess of $500 million
Dotcom and his associates have been fighting extradition to the United States since 2012, following a raid ordered by the FBI on the Auckland mansion he was living in. The charges he faces in the US include criminal copyright infringement, racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering.
His associates Mathias Ortmann and Bram van der Kolk entered plea deals in 2023 and were sentenced to more than two years in jail. A third associate has since died.
Dotcom said he would appeal the extradition, arguing that his treatment was grossly disproportionate compared to that of his colleagues.
He said the justice minister was surrendering him to a country where he had never set foot.
"It has only taken the minister of justice two-and-a-half years to do so. Despite that, the decision is superficial and fails to engage with any of the real legal, political and moral issues this case presents," he said.
"Once again, the minister of justice lacks the strength and fibre to stand up to the United States and put a long overdue end to a proceeding that is politically motivated and morally bankrupt."
In a statement released through his lawyer, Dotcom claimed that after living in New Zealand for 14 years, there had been an unreasonable delay to the court proceedings and he would not get a fair trial in the US.
"The judicial review proceeding will include the arguments that have previously been made to the Minister, including the grossly disproportionate treatment of Mr Dotcom relative to Mathias Ortmann and Bram van der Kolk, undue and unreasonable delay, the inhumane sentencing regime in the United States, fair trial issues (e.g. apparent bias), human rights breaches, and the underlying political bias that led to the prosecution in the first place."
Dotcom said his family called New Zealand home and he just wanted to raise his children here in peace and safety and do business.