The target on WikiLeaks seems to be far and wide. The US has recently went after programmers, trying to coerce them into testifying against WikiLeaks or Assange in a grand jury show trial. This is what happened to Chelsea Manning, who was commanded to attend, but refused to answer questions whose answers would be twisted to use against Assange and WikiLeaks.
The US isn't the only one going after people associated with WikiLeaks, as Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno is cracking down on WikiLeaks beyond Assange. He didn't like having his criminal behavior exposed by WikiLeaks recently, and is trying anything to get back at them and discredit their stature as a source of truth.
The government of Ecuador has arrested a Swedish programmer who is reportedly tied to WikiLeaks. The programmer, identified as Ola Bini, was trying to board a plane at the Quito airport set to fly to Japan. They are self-described as a software developer working for the Center for Digital Autonomy in Quito. The company is based out of Spain and Ecuador, and advocates digital security and privacy.
Early on April 11, before his arrest, Bini tweeted about Ecuador's claims of an alleged ring of Russian hackers in Ecuador, and one of them being part of WikiLeaks. The government was apparently hot on their trail and going to arrest them soon:
María Paula Romo, Ecuador Minister of the Interior, this morning held a press conference, claiming there are Russian hackers in Ecuador, and also that there is one person part of WikiLeaks living in Ecuador since several years.
Ola then added that this news from Ecuador was worrisome, as it seemed like witch hunt. And how right he was, as he would soon find out:
She further said this information soon will be handed over to the Fiscalía for potential prosecution. Very worrisome news - this seems like a witch hunt to me.
He was arrested soon after. Looks like he was a prime target from the beginning. María Paula Romo, Ecuador Minister of the Interior, said he "has been detained simply for investigation purposes". Does that seem like something someone would do if the accusations were correct? "Hey, the government is saying there is X, so I'll go ahead and talk about X, since I'm the X."
Romo said Bini was taken into custody because of "evidence" of "collaboration" with people connected to WikiLeaks. That's guilt by association. Bini had taken trips with the former Ecuadorean foreign minister Ricardo Patino who gave Julian Assange his asylum back in 2012. Romo also said Bini traveled 12 times to meet Assange at the embassy in London.
"We have sufficient evidence that he was collaborating in attempts to destabilize the government."
So, if Bini is Ecuador, he must be a WikiLeaks spy! Why else would he be there, right? LOL. He was previously tweeting about Assange's arrest as well. So that maybe that added to the "profile" to make him look like he's guilty of "something".
In 2010, Ola said:
"Any official who has called for Assange to be treated as a terrorist or enemy combatant should be seriously considering stepping down from office."
WikiLeaks deals in publishing leaks, and Bini is working as a software developer for a company dealing with digital security and privacy... therefore, programmer + digital security = hacker + WikiLeaks sympathizer = WikiLeaks agent! Get him!
That's some hard working tax dollars there. Ecuadorian prosecutors today said they intend to charge Ola for hacking-related crimes. He is being detained for up to 90 days while they gather "evidence".
The US is making up any charges willy nilly to get Assange into custody, with secret trials to try to cage him. I wouldn't be surprised if the government Ecuador did similar with people they even suspect are working for WIkiLeaks, just to send a message.
References:
- Swedish Programmer With Ties To Wikileaks Arrested In Ecuador
- Swedish coder held by Ecuador previously defended WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange
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Posted from KURE