Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom says he will appeal his extradition to the United States, describing New Zealand as an "obedient US colony".
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith signed the extradition order for the German-born businessman yesterday.
"I considered all of the information carefully, and have decided that Mr Dotcom should be surrendered to the US to face trial.
"As is common practice, I have allowed Mr Dotcom a short period of time to consider and take advice on my decision. I will not, therefore, be commenting further at this stage."
Dotcom faces criminal charges relating to the defunct website Megaupload, which allowed for the sharing of copyrighted material including pirated movies, TV and music.
The charges he faces includes criminal copyright infringement, racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering. Authorities in the US say Dotcom and his associates cost record companies and film studios more than $500 million.
His associates Mathias Ortmann and Bram van der Kolk entered plea deals and were sentenced to more than two years in jail in 2023, while a third associate has since died.
Dotcom has New Zealand residency and has been fighting extradition to the US since an FBI-ordered raid on his Auckland mansion in 2012.
In a statement released to RNZ through his lawyer, Dotcom said Goldsmith 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.
"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."
Dotcom's lawyer said there had been an unreasonable delay to 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."
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