[tor-talk] Non-free country law preventing Tor from getting donations

[Joe Btfsplk]

On 6/14/2014 2:21 AM, Sebastian G. <bastik.tor> wrote:
> Andrew wrote:
>> # Highlights
>> (...)
>>   - Looked into legality of receiving a large financial donation from a
>> country on the US Treasury embargoed list. Unsurprisingly, we cannot
>> accept such a donation due to the source.
> That has to be a violation of your rights.
>
> Whatever country gives you money in form of an donation should be
> perfectly fine. You are not doing business with them, they give you the
> money an that's it. (Otherwise it wouldn't be a donation. If I demand
> something specific for the money it is no longer a donation, it becomes
> sponsorship or a business relationship.)
It totally depends on how laws are worded, concerning any & all 
interactions with embargoed countries.  Maybe there's a clause that 
covers actions like this.
I'm not a legal or embargo rules expert, but I wonder if an embargoed 
country or individuals in it, giving money to a non-profit for which 
they receive nothing valuable, or that benefits the country financially, 
militarily or politically, actually violates the spirit of embargo laws.

I'm not sure the intent of embargo laws is to stifle free speech or 
access to information outside of a repressive gov't.