The father of internet freedom activist Aaron Swartz - who committed suicide earlier this week - has reportedly spoken out against MIT and the US government, blaming them for his son’s death

According to the Telegraph, Robert Swartz spoke out at his son’s memorial service and pointed the finger squarely at the US government and the Massachusetts Insititue of Technology.

“He was killed by the government and MIT, betrayed all of its basic principles,” he said. “He was hounded by the government, and MIT refused him.”

The outcry comes just days after 26-year-old Swartz was found dead in his New York apartment.

Due to face charges for allegedly gaining access to academic papers from computers at MIT, Swartz could have been imprisoned for up to 35 years with fines of over $1 million if found guilty.

Earlier this week it was revealed that L Rafael Reif, president of MIT, has asked for an inquest into the organisation’s role, saying: “It pains me to think that MIT played any role in a series of events that have ended in tragedy.”

Academics have been paying tribute via twitter, sharing their works for free with the hash tag #PDFTribute. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, also spoke at the funeral.

Via: The Telegraph