Cambodia deports Pirate Bay founder to Sweden

Cambodia on Monday deported a co-founder of The Pirate Bay filesharing website, sending him back to Sweden where he faces a one-year prison sentence for promoting copyright infringement.

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Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, 27, who was arrested in the Cambodian capital on August 30, was expelled late Monday, said Chhour Kimny, chief of immigration police at Phnom Penh International Airport.

"We deported him out of the country in accordance with the order from the ministry of interior," he told AFP.

He said Warg was escorted by four Swedish officials and would fly back to Sweden via Bangkok in Thailand.

Upon his arrival in Sweden, he will be handed over to officials from the Swedish Prison and Probation Service (Kriminalvården).

"Because he's wanted by the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, it will be their vehicles that are out at Arlanda when he arrives, escorted by police and prison personnel," Bertil Olofsson of the international section with Sweden's National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) told the TT news agency ahead of Warg's arrival.

Cambodia arrested Warg at Sweden's behest and the decision to deport him comes despite there being no extradition treaty between the two nations.

Founded in 2003, The Pirate Bay -- which boasts more than 30 million users -- makes it possible to skirt copyright fees and share music, film and other files using bit torrent technology, or peer-to-peer links offered on the site.

Warg's fellow co-founders Fredrik Neij and Peter Sunde, as well as financier Carl Lundström, all had their 12-month sentences reduced to between four and 10 months on appeal in late 2010.

They were ordered to pay a total of 46 million kronor ($6.9 million) in damages for copyright infringement to the music and movie industry.

Warg did not attend his appeal hearing and his one-year sentence was upheld. An international warrant was issued for his arrest.

During their trial, the defendants maintained that file-sharing services can be used both legally and illegally, and insisted their activities were within the law.

AFP/The Local
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