Following the largest case of its type in
Denmark, in October 2014 Gottfrid Svartholm was found guilty of hacking IT
company CSC. The Pirate Bay founder immediately appealed but after a
technically complex hearing a jury at the High Court today unanimously upheld
the decision of the lower court.
Two years after being arrested in his Cambodian apartment in September
2012, Gottfrid Svartholm went on trial in Denmark.
The Pirate Bay founder and a 21-year-old co-defendant stood accused of
hacking computer mainframes operated by US IT giant CSC. It was billed as the
largest case of its kind ever seen in the Scandinavian country.
Right from the outset Gottfrid's position was that his computer, from
where the hacking had taken place, had been compromised by outside attackers.
Respected security expert Jacob Appelbaum gave evidence for the defense in
support of this theory. However, the court was not convinced.
Dismissing the "remote control" defense, Judge Ulla Otken
described the hacking of CSC as both "systematic and comprehensive."
Three judges and four of six jurors returned guilty verdicts in 2014 and
Gottfrid was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison.
Never one to give up, Gottfrid immediately filed an appeal and this
month his case came before the Eastern High Court. According to local media,
whose coverage has been much less intense than when the Swede went on trial
last year, the evidence presented by both sides was of a highly technical
nature.
Writing earlier this week for Version2.dk, Elías Lundström reported that
even as an IT journalist he had difficulty in following the evidence, a
sentiment shared by Gottfrid's mother.
"I also have trouble understanding it - how should any of the
jurors be able to follow the evidence?" Kristina Svartholm said.
Gottfrid's lawyer Luise Høj also underlined the difficulty in dealing
fairly with such a complex case.
"I think overall that progress continues to be characterized by the
fact that we all lack the technical knowledge to deal with this matter, and it
characterizes the whole process," she said.
Whether the complexity of the case affected the jury will be a matter
for future debate, but a few moments ago all three judges and all nine jurors
upheld the District Court's decision handed down last October.
Addressing the "remote access" defense, the High Court ruling
notes that it would be unlikely that Gottfrid's computer could be accessed
without him noticing it. Furthermore, the Court found it unusual that the Swede
refused to assist police in getting to the bottom of the crime.
While the guilty verdict will undoubtedly come as a disappointment to
Gottfrid himself, his mother Kristina - who has endured two court cases and
numerous trips to Denmark in support of her son - has been openly critical of
the entire process.
In a series of tweets this week she complained of how the case has been
handled, from its roots in Cambodia, via Sweden and ultimately to Denmark.
Update: The High Court has just announced that Gottfrid's original
sentence of 3.5 years will stand.
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