
Taken Offline: Years in Prison for a Love of Technology - dannyobrien
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2015/09/taken-offline-years-prison-love-technology
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jnbiche
Can someone who knows about these things explain what concrete steps we in the
US could take when trying to lobby for the release of individuals like Bassel
Khartabil?

EFF mentions contacting "the embassy in our country", I would assume they mean
the Embassy of Syria, in this case. Unfortunately, I don't think that Syria
has an embassy here in the US, as its operations were suspected last year.

Can we in the US do anything for Khartabil?

Edit: Actually, I see that the US officially recognized the opposition a few
months back and that they will (or have) opened an embassy here:
[http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-
canada-27287650](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-27287650)

However, the article said that Khartabil's prison is on the front lines, and
evenly split between the forces. Which side of the prison is he on, I wonder?
I'll need to do additional research. In any case, my original question stands,
which is what exactly can we do, what tone should the letter take, etc?

~~~
pakled_engineer
[http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-
east/2015/09/11/...](http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-
east/2015/09/11/Rebels-storm-Syria-s-largest-prison-near-Damascus.html)

That prison will eventually be overrun and everybody freed, I guess the best
thing to do is 'raise awareness' with whoever your local political
representatives are like the EFF is doing so he doesn't just quietly
dissappear should the regime forces left over decide to massacre the remaining
prisoners before fleeing. There's a Syrian regime embassy in Russia you can
contact, whether or not they will do anything who knows.

~~~
zeveb
> That prison will eventually be overrun and everybody freed

Or murdered. Given that the name 'Bassel' is likely Christian (Basil), it
wouldn't surprise me to read that he's been slain.

