( CNN ) -- An internal report by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has found that it committed no wrongdoing in the case of Internet activist Aaron Swartz , who committed suicide while facing charges he hacked into the university 's computers and stole millions of online documents . The report `` makes clear that MIT did not 'target ' Aaron Swartz , we did not seek federal prosecution , punishment or jail time , and we did not oppose a plea bargain , '' wrote MIT President L. Rafael Reif in a letter Tuesday to the MIT community . Reif had requested an analysis of the university 's involvement in the federal case against Swartz from the time MIT first perceived unusual activity on its Web network in 2010 . But the report also questioned MIT 's `` neutral '' policy on the issues raised by Swartz 's prosecution and suggested the university could have showed more leadership . It also asked whether MIT should become involved in debates over reform of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act -- one of the laws under which Swartz was charged . Swartz , 26 , was discovered dead in his Brooklyn , New York , apartment in January . He was facing 13 felony counts stemming from his illegal downloading from MIT of more than 4 million articles from JSTOR , a repository of research journals , and was scheduled to go to trial in April . If convicted on the federal computer-fraud charges , he faced up to 35 years in prison . Internet prodigy , activist Aaron Swartz commits suicide . Swartz was an Internet savant who helped develop social-news site Reddit and RSS , the technology that allows websites to send updates to subscribers . He was an outspoken advocate for the free exchange of information over the Internet and co-founded Demand Progress , a political action group that campaigns against Internet censorship . As described in the report , Swartz 's death `` ignited a firestorm on the Internet . '' Admirers held memorial services , a petition on the White House 's website demanded the firing of the federal prosecutor responsible for the case and members of Congress introduced a proposed revision of the law under which he was prosecuted . After his suicide , Swartz 's family issued a statement criticizing prosecutors for seeking `` an exceptionally harsh array of charges ( for ) an alleged crime that had no victims , '' and claiming that decisions made by prosecutors and MIT officials had `` contributed to his death . '' How Aaron Swartz helped build the Internet . The MIT report on Swartz was issued by a review panel led by Hal Abelson , an MIT professor of electrical engineering and computer science . In preparing its report , the panel reviewed about 10,000 pages of documents and interviewed about 50 people , including MIT faculty , students , alumni and staff ; lawyers , police officers and prosecutors ; and Swartz 's friends and family . `` The review panel 's careful account provides something we have not had until now : an independent description of the actual events at MIT and of MIT 's decisions in the context of what MIT knew as the events unfolded , '' Reif wrote in his accompanying letter . `` From studying this review of MIT 's role , I am confident that MIT 's decisions were reasonable , appropriate and made in good faith . '' But others disagreed , including Swartz 's family and romantic partner . `` Having now read Abelson 's report , it is clear that MIT in fact played a central role in Aaron 's suicide , '' Robert Swartz , Aaron 's father , said in an e-mailed statement through a family friend . `` MIT made numerous mistakes that warrant further examination and significant changes . MIT was not neutral in the legal case against Aaron . And whether MIT was neutral or not is a red herring : the university had a moral obligation to advocate on Aaron 's behalf . '' Robert Swartz had some conciliatory reaction as well . `` We are encouraged by MIT President Raphael Reif 's desire to ensure that some positive comes of the terrible , tragic situation in which Aaron found himself , and applaud MIT for its commitment to self-examination . '' Swartz 's partner was upset at the report . `` MIT 's behavior throughout the case was reprehensible , and this report is quite frankly a whitewash , '' said Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman . `` We have an institution to contrast MIT with -- JSTOR , who came out immediately and publicly against the prosecution . Aaron would be alive today if MIT had acted as JSTOR did . MIT had a moral imperative to do so , '' she said . There was further reaction , too . `` Today 's report was intended to provide closure for the MIT community regarding the overprosecution and tragic loss of Aaron Swartz . Instead , the report simply whitewashes MIT 's role in Aaron 's prosecution and revises history to protect MIT 's image , '' said Demand Progress campaigner Charlie Furman . `` MIT does not seem to understand that a few simple , reasonable actions would have saved Aaron 's life , '' Furman added . `` If the university had said publicly , 'we do n't want this prosecution to go forward , ' there would have been no case , and Aaron would be alive today . '' Opinion : Why the Net grieves Aaron Swartz . CNN 's Brandon Griggs , Todd Leopold and Laura Smith-Spark contributed to this report .
NEW : Father of Internet activist says `` MIT in fact played a central role in Aaron 's suicide '' Internal report finds no wrongdoing by MIT in the case of Aaron Swartz . By, Staff Writer and Wire Reports MIT president : `` I am confident MIT 's decisions were reasonable ... and made in good faith ''