I break the silence: My arrest

[Kyle Williams]

On 9/15/07, Alexander W. Janssen <alexander.janssen at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On 9/16/07, Ryan Wagner <starshadow10101 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > There's still the possibility that a server op is using their Tor node
> > as a scapegoat and really is doing bad things (I don't mean to imply
> > that's the case here). Even if the police know that their suspect is
> > running a Tor node, what Tor is, and what it's used for, they're still
> > going to investigate him. All we can hope for is that they'd be a bit
> > nicer about it.
>
> Actually one guy from the police exactly asked me: "Can you prove that
> the traffic is really from Tor and someone else and not from your
> pretending this was Tor traffic?"
>
> F*ck! This is insane. If i'd be an evildoer I would use *every other*
> exitnode, but not mine! Why should I use mine? There'd be a chance
> that they kick down my door! I'd handcraft my torrc in a way to
> blacklist my very own node.
>
> And why on earth should I, as the suspect, prove myself unguilty in
> that case? I can't!
> There's a saying: "Innocent until proven guilty". And it's good that
> way. I don't need to prove my innocense. THEY have to prove I'm
> guilty!
>
> Never forget that. It's the law.
>
> It's a stupid idea. Sorry. Bollocks.
>
> Alex.
>
> --
> "I am tired of all this sort of thing called science here... We have spent
> millions in that sort of thing for the last few years, and it is time it
> should be stopped."
> -- Simon Cameron, U.S. Senator, on the Smithsonian Institution, 1901.
>
>
> .
>

Alex, I am very sorry to hear about your situation.  It is what every Tor
operator hopes will never happen to them, and is wrong that it happened to
you.

I'm willing to donate the last two weeks in donations (20 US Dollars) we
received to your legal fund, once it can be established who will run it.  I
know it's not much, but it's free money to us and I feel you need it more
than we do at the moment.

Also, I would be very happy to write a letter of disapproval to whoever it
is that is doing this to you.
Who do I address such a letter to?  Where do I send it?  Digital and
physical addresses?
Could you (or someone else) translate it from English to German?  I do not
trust the free online translators with such important matters.

Finally, we get over 100,000 unique hits per month on our website.  I would
be more than happy to put up your story on the main page to help draw
attention to your unfortunate situation, and encourage users to help protest
or provide financial assistance.

As a developer that seeks to protect and help make Tor safer for everyone to
use, this type of activity really pissed me off.  Alex, you and your wife
have my deepest sympathy.  Stay strong, and don't forget that people half
way around the world do care and worry about your situation, and the outcome
it will have on the rest of the world.


Kyle Williams
JanusVM Developer
www.janusvm.com
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