In my case at least, the support for these guys is because the treatment is so unethical. I don't believe mega upload or thepiratebay should be legal, but I want to see Kim dot com freed because I don't believe the FBI should have the power to arrest New Zealanders and take all their property. I want to see the pirate bay founders freed because I don't believe that solitary confinement is a valid punishment for copyright infringement.

I would be supportive of punishments befitting their crimes. As long as they are punished far in excess of their crimes, they are victims and deserve our sympathy and support.