Swedish computer security expert Ola Bini was arrested in April, 2019, in Ecuador, and a cloud has hung over his case ever since. Bini’s case has been impacted by numerous due process violations and human rights concerns, and there have been suspensions or delays at nearly every stage of his trial. EFF conducted a fact-finding mission into the case in 2019 and found that the allegations against Bini–who is known globally as a computer security expert, and a contributor to free software projects—were driven by politics more than legitimate accusations. Now, after almost four years, the next stage in the trial is set for the end of this month. Unfortunately, civil society groups, including EFF, remain concerned that misunderstandings of technology and political ramifications of the trial will overshadow the prosecution’s flimsy case.
After years of pretrial procedures, Bini’s actual trial began in January of last year and resumed in May. This was not the end of trial proceedings because the defense still had evidence to present, and the court still had to hear Bini’s testimony and parties’ closing arguments. The trial was set to continue in August, but it was rescheduled given the absence of an expert Swedish-Spanish translator, a right guaranteed by Ecuadorian Law for foreign defendants. The court called a new hearing for November, with no information on whether or not an expert translator would be present. Again, resumption of the trial was delayed when the prosecutor did not show up for the hearing, presenting a medical certificate two days later.
The next trial date is now set for January 31, though it is unlikely that this single day will be enough to comp
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