163: Ola

In this episode of Darknet Diaries, host Jack Recider interviews Ola Bini, a Swedish software developer and privacy advocate living in Ecuador, about his arrest and subsequent legal battle. Bini recounts being detained at the airport, accused of being a Russian hacker, and the numerous rights violations he experienced. Despite a lack of evidence, he was imprisoned for 70 days and subjected to ongoing surveillance and legal proceedings, including being found guilty of attempted unauthorized access to a computer based solely on his knowledge. Bini believes he became a political scapegoat due to his association with Julian Assange and his work in privacy, highlighting the challenges and risks faced by privacy advocates. The interview explores the Kafkaesque nature of Bini's situation, the lack of accountability within the Ecuadorian legal system, and the potential chilling effect on cybersecurity research.