Nophotozone Seeks the Fate of People Forcibly Disappeared in Syria

International Human Rights Lawyer Noura Ghazi Launches “Nophotozone” Organisation to Support Detainees and People Forcibly Disappeared in Syria

PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.

Beirut — March 19, 2019 — Today International Human Rights lawyer, Noura Ghazi, launched the Nophotozone organisation, a non-governmental organization that provides legal assistance, empowerment, and advocacy for detainees and their families and for families of those forcibly disappeared in Syria. Nophotozone was an idea originated by Noura Ghazi and her late husband, Bassel Khartabil, the Syrian-Palestinian technology innovator and nonviolent activist who opened the Internet for the arab world.

“Bassel and I planned to make Nophotozone once he was free from the illegal Syrian jail,” said Noura Ghazi. “Little did we know that Bassel’s situation would become worse. We did not know he would be forcibly disappeared while myself and our family anguished for 2 long years not knowing what had happened to our beloved, Bassel. Nophotozone’s goal is to ease the pain we suffered by helping other people not as fortunate to be supported by the global community built from our attempts to free bassel.”

Nophotozone is a non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Beirut, initially focused on individual cases of disappearance in Syria. Nophotozone and its team promotes nonviolent conflict resolution and mediation. Nophotozone on its website states that the NGO, “promotes legal awareness, human rights and knowledge related to cases of detention and enforced disappearances.”

“In the spirit of Free Bassel, New Palmyra and the Bassel Khartabil Fellowship, Nophotozone is one more realized project of Bassel’s that continues his legacy,” said Noura Ghazi. “I invite you to join us in making Nophotozone accomplish Bassel’s original mission to shed light one the disappeared with photos, information, technology, movies, art and creative projects that break through various factions of the Syrian conflicts. Nophotozone, with your support, provides love to people and their families with practical help.”

“Nophotozone’s work continues daily. In Syria, there are currently more than 80,000 people missing. So far the Syrian government has only issued death certificates for about 8,000 people, only 10% of the missing people,” said Noura Ghazi. “Please contact Nophotozone if you have a loved one missing and we will do our best to help you.

About Noura Ghazi

Noura Ghazi is an International Human Rights lawyer. She has helped over 1,000 detainees and their families in Syria. She is the Co-founder and Executive Director of Nophotozone, the global NGO providing legal assistance, empowerment, and advocacy for detainees and their families and families of those forcibly disappeared in Syria. In 2015, she wrote a poetry book “Waiting…” to her husband Bassel Khartabil, famed technology innovator and nonviolent activist, while he was detained. In late 2015, Bassel was disappeared in Syria. In August 2017, Noura discovered evidence that Bassel had been executed shortly after his forced disappearance. In 2017 and 2018, Ghazi spoke Internationally about Human Rights at the United Nations and European Union regularly. Noura’s work has been covered by the BBC, Financial Times, NPR, NBC, The Telegraph, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Le Monde, and Al Jazeera. In 2018 Ghazi was named by Amnesty International as one of the “8 kick-ass women standing up for our rights.” She studied law at Damascus University. Noura is currently finishing a diploma in Arabic-English translation at Beirut Arab University and is doing a Master’s in conflict management and nonviolent mediation at Academic University of Nonviolence and Human Rights. She is from Damascus, Syria. She lives and works in Beirut, Lebanon. nouraghazi.org

About Nophotozone

Nophotozone is a non-governmental organisation that seeks to promote legal awareness, human rights and knowledge, related to cases of detention and enforced disappearances in Syria. Nophotozone.org

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