News

Please help us Free Bassel, open source developer and CC volunteer

Joi Ito, June 29th, 2012

What open means to you
Bassel / joi / CC BY

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-born 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 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. — freebassel.org

This is our statement of Support to Bassel, his family and friends.

Creative Commons supports efforts to obtain the release of Bassel Safadi, a valuable contributor to and leader in the technology community. Bassel’s expertise and focus across all aspects of his work has been in support of the development of publicly available, free, open source computer software code and technology. He pursues this not only through his valuable volunteer efforts in support of Creative Commons, but in all of his work in the technology field. Through his efforts, the quality and availability of freely available and open technology is improved and technology is advanced.

Please help us #FREEBASSEL by signing the support letter at freebassel.org.

19 Responses to “Please help us Free Bassel, open source developer and CC volunteer”

  1. Baudimont says:

    freedom is the only way

  2. Dania says:

    Bassel will be free soon will be with us

  3. Fares Helou says:

    Freedooooooom Bassel

  4. Familie El-Barazi says:

    We all hope and pray for bassel at home
    Inshallah he is coming out next time ♥

  5. Bilal Zaiter -بلال زعيتر says:

    Until when the best minds of Syria will be arrested or under the threat of being arrested without any lawful process. Arresting SYRIAN MINDS is a main reason behind generating terrorism! The Syrian security forces regime is producing terrorism by the state terrorism its imposing on its people. If we want really to fight terrorism we have to liberate educated, ethical, and scientific minds. Bassel is a shining and brilliant mind and we have all to walk the talk. I knew Bassel through business. We worked on a new media business project and he was brilliant, well educated and cultured. Bassel behaved like a liberat citizem all the time and i cant understand any reason for keeping him behind the bars of injustice and inhumanity for this long time.

    Freedom to Bassel

  6. khaled says:

    What is the law that this young man arrested by the potential for no reason??

  7. Hayat says:

    7aram Bassel .. God Bless you :)

  8. Aliaa Al-Tabbaa says:

    Free Bassel Now and all the detainees in Syria…
    stop undescriminative arrest and troture…

  9. Øystein Jakobsen says:

    Imprisoned unjustly in Syria… he is not alone I would surmise. I support his release naturally, as I support the release of anyone held in prison without the right to a fair trial and due process.

    My government (Norway) has been hesitant to use force in the Syrian conflict after what happened in Libya, but I hope they use somewhat more than just harsh language.

  10. isaacology says:

    lets keep our hopes up..

  11. isaacology says:

    free syria..free bassel

  12. Noura says:

    I miss you baby
    come back to me

  13. Noura says:

    How deep is your love …….

  14. Ola says:

    Freedom for Bassel!

  15. Ola says:

    Free Bassel!

  16. Any person who is far away from sins, whose heart is pure ,shall certainly come back without any major problems.

    God Bless!

  17. IT says:

    Free Bassel, Free Culture…
    Free Bassel, Free us…

  18. Form Gate says:

    World need him for freedom
    Free Bassel, Free World
    Free Bassel, Free Culture