Syria secretly sentenced free software developer Bassel Khartabil to death

Cory Doctorow 6:13 am Fri Nov 20, 2015

Khartabil has been imprisoned in a Syria's Adra Prison since 2012, though as of October, he has been transferred to an undisclosed location. The free software/open culture activist was the lead for Creative Commons Syria and has contributed to Wikipedia, Firefox and many other projects.

He was arrested on the first anniversary of the Syrian uprising, and was tortured for five days by Syria's Military Branch 215 and was tried, without access to counsel, on charges of "harming state security." His arrest and detention have been widely decried; the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has called for his immediate release.

Noura Ghazi, Khartabil's wife, a human rights lawyer, reports that he has been secretly sentenced to death by a military tribunal.

I've just gotten disturbing and shocking news that Bassel has been sentenced to death. I think this means that the transfer to military prison was very dangerous. I really don't know other news. May God help him, we hope it's not too late. We are worried sick about his life. (from Bassel's wife, Noura's page) ‪#‎FreeBassel‬

Offline: Bassel (Safadi) Khartabil [EFF]

Urgent: Reports that Bassel Khartabil has been sentenced to death »
[Joi Ito]

This man earns $95 an hour as a professional cuddler

Trevor James of Hollywood, California charges $95 an hour to cuddle. There's a two-hour minimum but you can choose from eighty different cuddling positions. Nudity is forbidden. From The New Yorker: A registry of certified cuddlers can be found on Cuddlist, a sister company to hearme.app, an online therapy platform. Cuddlist has a roster of… READ THE REST
Donald Trump's home at Mar-a-Lago is raided by the FBI

Donald Trump says his Mar-a-Lago home is "currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents," according to CNBC, and that the FBI showed up "unannounced." Trump's statement, Monday night: These are dark times for our Nation, as my beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided,… READ THE REST
Texas church turns Hamilton into Christian play followed by anti-LGBTQ sermon (video)

Not only did a Texas church put on an illegal production of the Broadway musical Hamilton last weekend — by adding proselytizing Christian lines that were not included in the original script — but the botched production was then followed by an anti-LGBTQ sermon given by the church's pastor, likening homosexuality to addiction and sin.… READ THE REST
Light up with a pipe that's made to make smoking simple

There's a lot of reasons to buy a new smoking piece. Maybe you dropped your old one and that cool glass octopus build doesn't work so well when it's in a million pieces. Perhaps you're making the switch from rolling your own to something a little less cumbersome. Or maybe you just want an upgrade. Whatever… READ THE REST
Life's hard enough, which is why this flexible lighter is a game-changer

From ensuring you have enough money for gas this week to keeping up with today's politics, life is far from easy. And everyday things like making dinner, commuting to work, and even lighting candles should be the least of your worries. But when it comes to reaching down into the jar of your favorite candle, unable to… READ THE REST
These $29 game design and development courses might make learning as fun as the real thing

Gaming is something that most people can appreciate. Whether you're into the classics, a casual gamer, or a die-hard who plays all the time, there are many different ways to enjoy the hobby. But we think it's safe to say, novice or professional, we're all interested in how games even come to be. If you're fascinated by gaming… READ THE REST