It is not much of a praise. The guy wrote a piece of software, I heard that is considered free speech in other cases.
Sentencing him to die in prison without the chance of parole seems a bit hard. Especially if you see rapists and/or murderer getting a second chance.
Satoshi wasn't a fan of Silk road using Bitcoin. But Ross and Satoshi shared the same intention, enabling personal freedom. So does #nostr , you should expect some form of admiration for Ross here.
Personal freedom has a high value, everyone fighting for it deserves a little time in the sun 😉