Bitcache and Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom, is determined to resist extradition to the U.S., claiming political persecution and vowing to stay in New Zealand.
German-Finnish internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom, known for his controversial political views, now faces a new challenge as New Zealand’s justice minister, Paul Goldsmith, has signed an order for his extradition to the United States.
The move has reignited a legal battle that has spanned more than 10 years, with Dotcom and his legal team vowing to fight the decision tooth and nail, per a report from The New Zealand Herald. Dotcom has been living in New Zealand since 2010, and has faced the threat of extradition since 2012 following a dramatic global sting operation that led to his arrest.
The U.S. Department of Justice charged Dotcom with a slew of serious offenses, including criminal copyright infringement, money laundering, racketeering, and wire fraud, all linked to his role in Megaupload’s operations. U.S. authorities accused the platform of enabling widespread piracy, and allegedly profiting from the illegal distribution of copyrighted content.
In an Aug. 15 defiant post on X, the crypto entrepreneur who once promised to bring Bitcoin (BTC) to the masses via Bitcache and Megaupload, declared, “I love New Zealand. I’m not leaving,” signaling a clear intention to remain in the country despite the looming threat of extradition.
Kim Dotcom alleges legal irregularities and political persecution
Dotcom’s legal team — led by Ira Rothken — confirmed plans to seek a judicial review of the extradition order in a separate X post, stating that the fight for justice is far from over. Rothken also highlighted numerous legal irregularities that have plagued Dotcom’s case, including an illegal government raid on his family home, unlawful surveillance, and the withholding and destruction of crucial evidence.
The long-time U.S. critic maintains that his legal troubles stem from his support for WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange, who recently pled guilty to one charge of espionage and returned home to Australia after years of fighting U.S. extradition.
In another series of posts on X, Dotcom implied that his donations to WikiLeaks, including a $100,000 contribution made shortly after his release on bail, may have prompted the U.S. government’s pursuit of him.
In addition, Dotcom accused the DoJ, under President Joe Biden’s administration, of targeting him for political reasons, drawing a parallel between his situation and former President Donald Trump‘s legal battles.
Founded in 2016, Bitcache was meant to increase the utility of Bitcoin by introducing cost-effective microtransactions where file transfers on Megaupload would be linked to Bitcoin transactions thereby making it very difficult to identify users of the file sharing platform. However, in 2023, a New Zealand court put Bitcache into liquidation, after it was claimed the company owed more than $13 million to assorted creditors.
