雅虎香港電視

STORY: Joseph James O'Connor - a British national accused of hacking the Twitter accounts of several high-profile users including then-presidential candidate Joe Biden and now-Twitter CEO Elon Musk - moved one step closer to being extradited to the U.S. on Friday.

Spain's High Court agreed to the extradition request, saying the United States was in a better position to prosecute him because that's where the evidence obtained in the investigation is located.

O’Connor, who was arrested in 2021 in the southern city of Estepona, is wanted in the U.S. for the 2020 Twitter hack that compromised a variety of verified accounts.

Those hacked included former President Barack Obama, Benjamin Netanyahu and reality TV star Kim Kardashian.

The accounts of some of the richest people in the world were also hijacked, including those of Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Jeff Bezos.

The alleged hacker used the accounts to solicit digital currency, prompting Twitter to prevent some verified accounts from publishing messages for several hours.

The Spanish government still has to OK the extradition but usually complies with such High Court decisions.

O'Connor, who had objected to his extradition in a previous hearing in Madrid, could still appeal.