Both people spoke on condition of anonymity
because they weren’t authorized to publicly
discuss an investigation that is in progress.
It’s not clear why American authorities
asked to speak with Bini. But the previously
unannounced request suggests for the first time
that the Swedish programmer, who has not
been charged with any crimes by Ecuador, is a
potential witness or person of interest in U.S.
investigations into Assange and WikiLeaks.
Bini, 36, was arrested at Quito’s airport as
he prepared to board a flight to Japan. Top
Ecuadorian officials have alleged that he was
part of a plot hatched with two unidentified
Russian hackers living in Ecuador to threaten
to release compromising documents about
President Lenin Moreno. At the time, Moreno
was toughening his stance against Assange,
who had been living at the country’s embassy in
London under asylum since 2012.
Privacy groups have accused Ecuador of carrying
out a witch hunt because of Bini’s friendship
with Assange and his longstanding advocacy for
digital privacy. Bini is believed to have traveled
at least 12 times to meet with Assange at the
London embassy. Prosecutors have 90 days to
compile evidence and charge him.
David Kaye, the United Nations’ special investigator
on freedom of expression, has criticized his
continued detention. “Nothing in this story
connects Ola Bini with any crime,” Kaye said in April.
An expert on secure communications,
Bini arrived in Quito in 2013 after being
transferred from Chicago to the Ecuador office
of global tech firm Thoughtworks, which has
guidingprinciplesthatstresssocialactivism.
Image: Dolores Ochoa
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