Context
Last week’s arrest of Amsterdam-based software developer Alex Pertsev threatens to create a dangerous precedent, as developers could now be made responsible if software they created is misused.

Why is this case so important?
Open-source software – which was published under free licence and can be used by anyone and for any purpose – has always been a major driver for innovation in the tech sector. Many popular products, such as Linux, Mozilla Firefox and VLC Media Player, were developed as open-source software.

Open-source software products have millions of users globally, while thousands of developers use open-source code in their projects. Open-source software is flexible and secure, as it can be audited, fixed and improved by anyone.

Now, Alex is being accused of creating open-source code that was used by Tornado Cash, a project under investigation in the US and Europe. But a developer has no control whatsoever over how their open-source code is subsequently used.

Therefore, the accusations against Alex threaten to kill the entire open-source software segment. No one will dare to write and publish open-source code, no one will invest in the segment if they could be made responsible for the use of the tool they created by other parties.

What to do?

To stand for developers’ right to create open-source software, you need to act NOW!

• Please, sign this petition and spread the information.  Help to free innocent person and make your impact in the future of open-source development!
• If you can, attend a protest rally in Amsterdam on Saturday, August 20, at 16:00 on Dam Square.

#OpenSourceNotACrime #PrivacyNotACrime #FreeAlex #freepertsev 
#FreeAlekseyPertsev 

More info on the rally: https://www.meetup.com/cryptocanal/events/287867009

Telegram group: https://t.me/+0tKJW0Xoolo3M2Ri