The US Attorney’s Office has filed a lawsuit demanding the arrest of Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith, accused of violating US sanctions against North Korea.
As a reminder, in November 2019, Griffith was arrested for giving a presentation on the blockchain in Pyongyang. The US Attorney’s Office believes that by doing so, Griffith violated the Economic Emergency Measures Act (IEEPA) by trying to help North Koreans bypass US sanctions using blockchain and cryptocurrencies. Griffith denies these allegations and states that he did not provide any services in the country and did not receive any monetary compensation for his performance.
Griffith’s lawyers claim that he is protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution on free speech. They explained that the information about the blockchain capabilities presented at that presentation is in the public domain. At the end of 2019, Griffith was released on $ 1 million bail, secured by the real estate of his relatives. Griffith’s trial is due in September 2021 – the developer faces up to 20 years in prison.
Last week, prosecutors approached Judge Kevin Castel with a demand that Griffith return to custody. The prosecution claims that he violated the conditions of being at large, trying to access his frozen account with cryptoassets in the amount of $ 1 million. The appeal to the court indicates that from the very beginning the prosecutor’s office had fears that Griffith might illegally leave the country. After a recent attempt to gain access to these funds, the risk of escaping has risen to “unacceptable levels.”
Jason Gottlieb, a partner at the law firm MorrisonCohen, criticized the prosecutor’s actions demanding that Griffith be returned to prison pending a court decision. Gottlieb called them “extremely cruel and oppressive.”
“The Griffith case is really difficult in some areas. However, it would be sheer madness to take a person into custody for an alleged violation of the terms of release. The US Attorney’s Office is clearly not acting in the public interest, ”- wrote Gottlieb.
Earlier, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin also spoke in support of Griffith. He urged the US government not to “persecute” programmers who come out with public information, but to focus on fighting real corruption.
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