REGIMES' WAR AGAINST P2P BITCOIN CASH EXCHANGES HAS BEGUN

Imagine you were born in one of the richest countries in the world, with an area as big as the entire territory of the European Union. All the wealth is in the hands of a narrow group of corrupt oligarchs, while the population of the country simply survives on food loans. 

This is what #Kazakhstan looks like today, where the regime is kept in place only through brutal repression and Putin's army, ready to crush peaceful protests at the first call of the Kazakh president. 

As soon as you dare to put a like under a post criticising the authorities or participate in a protest, you are declared an extremist, a terrorist, a threat to national security or a money launderer. 

The police will not only torture you to death after your arrest, they always take hostages of those you care about most. Your son or daughter may be kidnapped and killed to "make you come to your senses". 

Your only chance of escape is to get on EU or US politicians' political prisoner lists. Kazakhstan is very keen on international recognition, trade and these are the only leverages for the release of political prisoners. 

But let's look at another situation. You are not an activist. You're just a sympathiser and you've decided to donate to support the politically persecuted or support an opposition movement. 

🔻What then? You'll be charged with „funding extremism” or „laundering money” in a secret court. You, your family members will all be financially excluded immediately. You can work informally for cash, but it is becoming increasingly difficult. 

In such situations as described above, p2p exchange of cash for #bitcoin becomes the only salvation for you, how to protect your resources from illegal searches by secret police, banal theft and in general safety, transfer of your value. 

🔻But the party did not last long: Kazakhstan's regime decided to take the tool away from the financially excluded and criminalise p2p cash-to-cryptocurrency exchanges in line with FATF/G7 recommendations. 

Protecting such people as politically repressed is almost impossible for human rights defenders with this approach. This is one of the main factors why negative language towards bitcoin/p2p exchanges should not be allowed in the regulation of democracies. 

🔻Kazakhstan primarily targeting those who use p2p transactions, mostly with cash for bitcoin and #USDT. On 12 March 2024, Kazakhstani media reported that a resident of Astana was imprisoned for 2 years and 6 months with confiscation of property for "illegal p2p-exchange of cash for cryptocurrency".  

🔻Follow how fast was reaction of regime: on 4 March 2024, the Financial Monitoring Agency of Kazakhstan announced that it "observes the presence of illegal transactions of individuals with cryptocurrency (purchase, sale, payments for goods, works, services, transactions via P2P)". 

Already on 12 March, the first demonstrative "verdict" on conducting "illegal" p2p exchanges of cash for cryptocurrency was announced. 

🔥Question to #Nostr: What solutions do you have to protect individuals doing #cash to bitcoin p2p exchanges in such countries? 

p.s. This is a photo of the family of a peaceful Kazakhstani man, 31-year-old Zasulan #Amangeldinov, a father of three. 

He is one of the victims of torture and mass shootings involving Russian troops in January 2022. The reason for his arrest and torture by pouring boiling water on him in the Almaty pre-trial detention centre is that he was a witness and victim of mass shootings. Zhasulan was financially excluded as a „suspected extremist”. https://image.nostr.build/6c232005184526ff8dd062db901d12cd5543774069ab30cb727d941fced72d46.jpg https://image.nostr.build/07db392ff4c3eee48738a498b868e81530197d3fe96243246c5807407c9e101c.jpg https://image.nostr.build/db954b9c16a657291a5517769917be145524c240a1ee3fdfdc2667d55739318c.jpg https://image.nostr.build/b3995837c782730e0d3b75b9213b28f53e86fc6f2e9d810242e35086052f269c.jpg  

 You must do the same as Lot and his family in Sodom and Gomorrah. It must do the same as Jews in Egypt. He must do the same as Joseph and Mary for the birth of the baby Jesus the Savior. It must do the same as Jews during Nazi Germany... 
--------Exodus---------
The only solution is to walk away and not look back. Better places with promises of better days will always exist. Those who remain and insist on error will be eliminated. 

 If it is your choice - it is fine. 

But I chose another way to react: Im defending the rights of politically persecuted people. I can’t help everyone, but support those who are ready to fight for changes and speak up. 

 The point is that if you don't learn from history, you'll make the same mistakes over and over again. 
There is no individual or organization that can save you or any person, or even guarantee you rights that imply laws and these are established by a state. 
Throughout history, individuals have stood up against empires and always lost. The only way to escape tyranny is to go into exile. You can go into financial exile, and for that we have Bitcoin. But in certain locations, mafias will go after Bitcoin holders, and for that, you must physically exile them. 
When you try to secure rights and provide support for the politically persecuted, you are trying to save a dead person by giving them medicine. 
It's impossible on its own.

Who Is John Galt? 

 You must do the same as Lot and his family in Sodom and Gomorrah. It must do the same as Jews in Egypt. He must do the same as Joseph and Mary for the birth of the baby Jesus the Savior. It must do the same as Jews during Nazi Germany... 

Exodus. 

The only solution is to walk away and not look back. Better places with promises of better days will always exist. Those who remain and insist on error will be eliminated.

#Bitcoin
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 The state is constantly looking for ways to restrict resistance and maintain their domination. And of course a western dominated body like the G7 would make these recommendations, it provides the needed legitimacy to build the security and surveillance Infastructures needed for their repression - good timing as Kazakhstan continues to attack the Ngorno-Karabach region (hope I said that right). 

 A difficult problem. As soon as you do an exchange in person you can be discovered as the police can always pretend to be buyer/seller. Web of trust comes to mind, but it would be difficult to bootstrap it, and the community should be large enogh and decentrilised so that arresting few people cannot distrupt the exchange.  

 You are right. But those people have no chance to get banking. So or you risk your life to do with cash transactions, or you die without money. No choice. 

 Thank you for sharing these events. Its important as a reminder of the direction things are moving to. 
Since this network is not censured, can you please share as many stories like this as you can? Especially since you have contact with some of these people.