There's no proof whatsoever that this arrest was politically motivated. aaronsw's furtive behavior really muddies the waters here - if my sysadmin found a similar laptop in a server closet I would also have called the cops.
I agree, his arrest was probably not politically motivated. However, I believe the way the authorities proceed with prosecution and punishment will be influenced by Aaron's other activities.
Everything Aaron does is out of good intentions. I know, I've worked with him before.
His crime isn't "borrowing" the data...it's getting caught.