On January 31, the Swedish free software developer and computer security expert Ola Bini was declared innocent in a unanimous verdict by a three-judge tribunal in Ecuador—the Court of Criminal Guarantees of Pichincha. After almost four years of a criminal prosecution plagued with irregularities, delays, and due process violations, his right to a fair trial has finally prevailed. EFF, Access Now, APC, Fundación Karisma, and other digital and human rights groups that have been monitoring the case celebrate the ruling.
But more than a month after the ruling, we continue to see the pattern of delays surrounding the case again. The oral sentence stated in January’s hearing has yet to be published in written form, and the precautionary measures against Bini remain in force. Despite his acquittal, the security expert still can’t leave Ecuador, use his bank accounts, or get back any of several of his devices seized in 2019. In the meantime, the Prosecutor’s Office and Ecuador’s National Telecommunications Corporation (CNT) have already shown their intention to appeal once they receive the formal notification of the sentence.
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