freebasseltarot-blog

[freebasseltarot-blog]

16 october : 2am London time. 

i have a feeling you will be out very soon ...

is that true?

Ace of      Rainbows: Maturity This      figure stands alone, silent and yet alert. The inner being is filled with      flowers--that carry the quality of springtime and regenerate wherever he      goes. This inner flowering and the wholeness that he feels affords the      possibility of unlimited movement. He can move in any direction--within      and without it makes no difference as his joy and and maturity cannot be      diminished by externals. He has come to a time of centeredness and      expansiveness--the white glow around the figure is his protection and his      light. All of life's experiences have brought him to this time of      perfection. When you draw this card, know well this moment carries a      gift--for hard work well done. Your base is solid now and success and good      fortune are yours for they are the outcome of what has already been      experienced within.

[freebasseltarot-blog]

عندما يكون الحب مُتواجداً فليس هنالك داع للإعتذار لأن المحب يفهمك دائماً ... هكذا نجد أنه ليس هنالك مبادئ أخلاقية أعلى من الحب.

[freebasseltarot-blog]

WE NEED EVERYBODY’S HELP TO #FREEBASSEL Bassel Khartabil aka Safadi, my dear friend from the old days in Damascus and lead of the Creative Commons community in Syria, has been living in a Syrian jail for almost 4 years now. He was arrested in March 2012 without a formal accusation or the right to see a lawyer. Source: http://ift.tt/1PVaNDY

[freebasseltarot-blog]

By @nikikana “We pledge to release the #freebassel cookbook for #freebasselday 2014” via @PhotoRepost_app #Syria #Siria

[freebasseltarot-blog]

How far is Adra from Zone9?

Dear Bassel, 

It’s been too long, and this is the first of what I hope to be more frequent letters, giving you updates on the world outside (there is a lot to report on). I’m writing you now about the Zone9 bloggers, a group of 10 journalists/bloggers (personally, I think the two terms should be seen as nearly synonymous) in Ethiopia who were arrested in April of this year under terrorism charges for their reporting and for taking a course on digital security. They were charged in accordance with the 2009 Anti-Terrorism Proclamation which has been widely used to suppress critical voices and criminalize dissent, and stand accused of collaborating with opposition groups in the country who they were, in fact, criticizing in accordance with forming an honest, candid, and civic minded dialogue. 

I would imagine you would sympathize with their situation and would join in the call for their release, were you not in prison yourself, and cut off from communications about such topics. 

Their trial is beginning on the 4th of August, and today there is a global tweetathon in solidarity with the bloggers and to draw attention to their case. 

Here’s a screenshot from Twitter today in searching for the #freezone9bloggers hashtag:

This tweetathon thing is an interesting concept - a similar endeavor was made for your birthday recently. And one would certainly be organized at the time of your trial, were it ever to take place (although for that you would need to be charged, which, like thousands of your fellow prisoners in Syria, has not happened, despite your being locked up for more than 860 days). 

In the interest of archives, here’s a screenshot of searching #freebassel on Twitter today:

The name Zone9 is derived from the section in Kality Prison in Addis Ababa where journalists and human rights workers are held, which is called Zone8. Zone9 refers to the invisible prison that the bloggers describe as surrounding all the citizens of Ethiopia, who could be arrested at any time for speaking out. 

The bloggers of the group were arrested just 2 days after announcing that they would be returning to blogging after nearly 6 months of silence.

Similar to the Syrian government, the Ethiopian government is among the greatest violators to the right of free expression and has one of the largest and most sophisticated Internet monitoring and filtering systems in the world, as both countries use counterterroism laws as a means to stifle dissent. 

Syria has been named as the most dangerous country for journalists, while since 2001, Ethiopia has forced more journalists into exile than any other country. 

I’m curious how similar situations are in the prisons as well - does yours have different zones? Do you perceive an invisible prison beyond your walls as well? Given your experiences in prison over the last 2+ years, what would you do in response to the Zone9 bloggers if you were free now?

Like millions of others, I wish for all of these walls to come down - in all countries, and especially the walls inside ourselves, the ones we erect out of fear of retribution and punishment for speaking out, engaging rights we are given by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. But who enforces these rights? How can we leverage the digital tools that enable us to come together and show solidarity in order to actually maintain and expand these rights to all people?

I have to end this letter now, but will come back to edit it and add more information, eventually creating a more conclusive conclusion – although, really, a conclusion is not appropriate since this is all ongoing, and will always be (could there ever be a global free press? Or must the press, by definition, always exist in opposition to a censoring body? In such a vision where global freedom of information and knowledge is possible, technologists like yourself in tandem with fearless writers like the Zone9 group are a necessary part of the equation). I will start a new letter with information on the trial, hoping that the solidarity and accountability efforts will have an impact on it. Perhaps from this we could learn about strategies to help you as well. 

until soon, niki

[freebasseltarot-blog]

#freebassel day 908 still in jail. #dailygift

[freebasseltarot-blog]

Today, on Human Rights Day, we remind the world of our many friends who have broken the silence of oppression by expressing their thoughts, asking questions, and thinking critically and constructively about how to solve the problems before them. 

- Break the Silence: Campaign for Jailed Human Rights Activists

[freebasseltarot-blog]

One flower for each year Bassel Khartabil has been illegally detained in #Syria @freebassel During the civil war, Bassel, along with many others, are prisoners of conscience - We think of you often and celebrate your contributions to culture and learning today - Free Bassel Day - March 15th 2015 http://freebassel.org/campaign #Syria #love #peace #freedom #FREEBASSEL #civilwar #ajstream #cc #wikipedia #mozilla #creativecommons #Fabricatorz #openclipart #aiki #eff #BasselKhartabil #BasselSafadi (at Pete Ippel)

[freebasseltarot-blog]

12th october 2015

[freebasseltarot-blog]

#freebassel is a friend of ours stuck in jail somewhere in Syria because he was a very interesting developper and technology lover. Technology proved to be dangerous for young futuristic men of #Syria . Using Osho Tarot to try and make sense and hoping for the best for our friend Bassel Khartabil. Spread peace, love and good Karma! ask for Bassel to come back!