Re: I break the silence: My arrest

["Kyle Williams" <kyle.kwilliams@xxxxxxxxx>]

On 9/15/07, Alexander W. Janssen <alexander.janssen@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On 9/16/07, Ryan Wagner <starshadow10101@xxxxxxxxx> 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