Kim Dotcom unable to communicate effectively following stroke, lawyer says
Tuesday, 26 November 2024
Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom had a stroke nearly three weeks ago.
His health ‘prevents him from communicating effectively’, his lawyer says.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has approved Dotcom’s extradition to the US.
Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom is unable to communicate effectively following a stroke nearly three weeks ago, his lawyer Ron Mansfield KC says.
A statement about the stroke on Kim Dotcom’s X account on Monday was posted by his wife Liz Dotcom, Mansfield said.
The post, the first on the account since November 6, said: “I am recovering from a serious stroke. I have the best health professionals helping me to make a recovery. I will be back as soon as I can. Please be patient and pray for my family and I.”
Dotcom had the stroke on November 7, Mansfield said.
“Kim’s health prevents him from communicating effectively.
“Liz, his wife, is with him and she released the tweet.
“We have to see how he recovers before we can say more - some further recovery is likely but what that means is unknown,” Mansfield said.
“Obviously we’re shocked by what’s happened.
“Hence why the legal team, but more importantly his young family, have been dealing with the health issues before we made it public.”
The FBI has been trying to extradite Dotcom - a Finnish-German internet entrepreneur and founder of the now-defunct file-sharing site Megaupload - for more than a decade to face charges related to copyright infringement and internet piracy.
It enlisted the help of New Zealand law enforcement and spy agencies. The GCSB monitored Dotcom before police, alongside FBI agents, raided his Auckland mansion in 2012. The raid included helicopters and more than 70 officers, including the armed Special Tactics Group.
In August, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said he had approved Dotcom’s extradition to the US.
Responding to the news at the time, Dotcom said: “I love New Zealand. I’m not leaving.”
He moved to this country in 2010, and these days lives with his youngest child, and his second wife Elizabeth, in Queenstown.
A judicial review against the extradition order has been filed in the High Court at Auckland.
Mansfield said Dotcom was taken to a local hospital when he had the stroke, then was rushed to Dunedin Hospital. He was recently discharged from there to a rehabilitation unit at another hospital.
Dotcom was on bail, and Crown Law and police had been advised of his situation.