<nettime> #FREEBASSEL

[Geert Lovink <geert@xs4all.nl>]

http://freebassel.org/

Bring Home the Loved and Celebrated Internet Volunteer Bassel  
Khartabil Detained in Syria!
On March 15, 2012, Bassel Khartabil was detained in a wave of arrests  
in the Mazzeh district of Damascus. Since then, his family has  
received no official explanation for his detention or information  
regarding his whereabouts. However, his family has recently learned  
from previous detainees at the security branch of Kafer Sousa,  
Damascus, that Bassel is being held at this location.

Bassel Khartabil, a Palestinian-Syrian, 31, is a respected computer  
engineer specializing in open source software development, the type of  
contributions the Internet is built upon. He launched his career ten  
years ago in Syria, working as a technical director for a number of  
local companies on cultural projects like restoring Palmyra and  
Forward Syria Magazine.

Since then, Bassel has become known worldwide for his strong  
commitment to the open web, teaching others about technology, and  
contributing his experience freely to help the world. Bassel is the  
project leader for an open source web software called Aiki Framework.  
He is well known in online technical communities as a dedicated  
volunteer to major Internet projects like Creative Commons (www.creativecommons.org 
), Mozilla Firefox (www.mozilla.org), Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org),  
Open Clip Art Library (www.openclipart.org), Fabricatorz (www.fabricatorz.com 
), and Sharism (www.sharism.org).

Since his arrest, Bassel’s valuable volunteer work, both in Syria and  
around the world, has been stopped. His absence has been painful for  
the communities that depend on him. In addition, his family, and his  
fiancée whom he was due to marry this past April, have had their lives  
put on hold.

Bassel Khartabil has been unjustly detained for nearly four months  
without trial or any legal charges being brought against him.

We, the signees of the #FREEBASSEL campaign, demand immediate  
information regarding his detention, health, and psychological state.

We urge the Syrian Government to release the community member, husband- 
to-be, son to a mother and father, and celebrated International  
software engineer Bassel Khartabil, immediately.


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