How did we survive and continue holding rights violators accountable? #Bitcoin peer-to-peer payments and encrypted communications became our lifeline.
We've learned firsthand that compromising privacy doesn't just threaten operations—it costs lives.
https://blossom.primal.net/0ce0eef24443a4cbc5647f200beb766fc8a06fed3c8a14f6d6240d5912f77d36.mp4
MY MESSAGE TO THE U.S. CONGRESS: Transnational Financial Repression Costs Lives—Here's the Evidence
Last month I testified before the US Congress about something that sounds like a conspiracy theory but isn't: authoritarian regimes are weaponizing American and European banks, travel and communication information to silence their critics.
Do you know this is happening?
Here's how it works: Dictatorships and their proxies are systematically abusing Financial Action Task Force (#FATF) anti-money laundering, cybersecurity systems that Western democracies created for security cooperation. They turn our own tools against us.
The scariest part? It's completely legal.
I, my Open Dialogue Foundation team, and our families lived this nightmare. Despite winning in court repeatedly and proving all accusations false, we still lost our bank accounts, crypto accounts, crowdfunding platforms.
Our crime? Documenting human rights violations and sanctions evasion.
But it didn't stop there. A Belgian judge revealed that dozens of Kazakh security officers filed subpoenas seeking the maximum amount of private data on Lyudmyla Kozlovska—including her banking, travel, and communication records.
Why? To isolate and destroy us our capacity to live, work and defend human rights.
We fought back; most activists can’t or don't know how.
When authoritarian regimes and their proxies can manipulate American and European financial, travel, and communication systems to silence dissent, they're attacking the foundation of Westen values and democracy itself.
How did we survive and continue holding rights violators accountable? #Bitcoin peer-to-peer payments and encrypted communications became our lifeline.
We've learned firsthand that compromising privacy doesn't just threaten operations—it costs lives.
Here's the complete testimonial with policy recommendations:
Video from 30:00
Good morning ☀️
#Provo has an incredible heart for families. The way this community rallies around parents and children is the most touching thing I’ve ever experienced.
Have you been there ?
Would love to connect with local #bitcoin #Utah community to join efforts in defense of privacy of financial, travel and communication data from the weaponization.
🙏 thank you. We need more support to spread awareness about this problem. Not many people have ideas that their travel, communication data are the same exposed as financial data.
🚨 YOUR VOICE NEEDED: CONGRESS SEEKS TESTIMONIES
The US Congress is investigating how authoritarian regimes weaponize financial regulations against American donors supporting democracy. WE NEED YOUR INPUT.
📢 WHY YOUR TESTIMONY MATTERS
Chairman #McGovern asked me directly: "Your testimony calls for the Treasury Department to issue a financial crimes enforcement network advisory highlighting foreign governments' misuse of anti-money laundering/anti-terrorism financing tools to target U.S. entities and residents in transnational repression. Has the Treasury Department made any steps in this regard? If not, what do you think is a productive pressure point?"
This question shows Congress recognizes that the case of American philanthropist Barlyk #Mendygaziyev demonstrates a terrifying trend:
🔻His brother Bekizhan imprisoned in #Kazakhstan as RETALIATION for Barlyk's pro-democracy advocacy
🔻US banks terminated their financial services based on Kazakhstan's false claims and accusations
🔻Kazakhstan exploited AML/CFT laws to silence American donors
🎯 THE BIGGER PICTURE
When authoritarian regimes can:
🔻Turn US financial institutions against democracy donors
🔻Weaponize "anti-extremism", AML, cybersecurity laws and international cooperation mechanisms against civil society and donors transnationally and domestically
🔻Take family members hostage to silence advocacy
Every donor, activist, and NGO becomes vulnerable transnationally
💪 WHY DEFENDING DONORS IS CRITICAL
🔻Democracy movements NEED financial support
🔻Majority of the prodemocracy donors are U.S. philanthropists. They are at risk of being criminalized for supporting human rights if no remedies established
🔻Kazakhstan's playbook is being copied by other autocrats
🔻US financial system is being turned against democracy itself
📝 WHAT CONGRESS NEEDS FROM YOU
Submit testimonies/recommendations on:
🔻How financial debanking affects pro-democracy work in your country
🔻Your experiences with weaponized AML compliance
🔻Policy recommendations to protect legitimate donors
🔻Cases of authoritarian abuse of US financial systems or U.S. financial intelligence (I will explain more in the next post)
🔗 WE HELP YOU TO SUBMIT
Information to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission:
🔻Send your story to me
🔻Reference: [mention your country] Transnational Financial Repression
🔻Deadline: end of July 2025
When autocrats can silence American donors, democracy loses its lifeline. Your voice can help Congress close these dangerous loopholes.
#DefendDonors #TransnationalRepression #TransnationalFinancialRepression #Congress #Democracy #HumanRights #Philanthropy #CivilSociety #TomLantos #USCongress #AML #CFT
https://blossom.primal.net/ea84aee6db3016f85c827951acaea7b3f0565467cd5d8e12a4bc797aaa7124ca.mp4
https://blossom.primal.net/924ff917c772b697cf200385f0f73bef5ce79331095e534db2fec108191ff25a.mp4
US CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS ON TRANSNATIONAL FINANCIAL REPRESSION
On June 24, 2025, the US House of Representatives held hearings on transnational repression. I had the honor of presenting to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission one of the most sophisticated methods of persecution—the abuse by undemocratic regimes of financial and cybersecurity regulations, as well as mutual legal assistance agreements, targeting not only government critics but also #American philanthropists, non-governmental organizations, and investors.
My testimony and recommendations addressed two key aspects:
(1) explaining how transnational financial repression is carried out and its impact on the United States, and
(2) how these mechanisms are used to obstruct financial support for pro-democratic movements and humanitarian activities.
Regimes, particularly #Kazakhstan and #Russia, along with their proxies such as Kyrgyzstan's #Bakai Bank, have learned to exploit trust-based mechanisms of international cooperation. This enables dictators to arbitrarily freeze or confiscate assets in the #UnitedStates, deny Americans access to financial services, misuse financial intelligence and personal data, and spread targeted disinformation to undermine organizations' economic reputations and circumvent international sanctions.
By abusing these international agreements, dictators and their proxies can also initiate Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP suits), depleting their critics residing in Western countries both legally and financially.
One example is the case of American investor and philanthropist Barlyk Mendygaziyev, his family members, and political hostage Bekizhan Mendygaziyev.
I will share more details in the next post.
https://blossom.primal.net/924ff917c772b697cf200385f0f73bef5ce79331095e534db2fec108191ff25a.mp4
I dont know why… try this link instead:
Your travel, communication, and financial data can be weaponized against you. Do you care?
Listen to our recent podcast with @stephanlivera to understand why Bitcoin privacy payment tools, communication tools matters more than ever—and how we can defend it jointly.
YT: youtu.be/BrMoFnzzowo
Life is great when you get the news that your biopsy results are finally “clear” 😍
Feeling literally like 🐣 🧡
Being healthy is so great!!! Treat every moment as blessing even if it is crazy and hard. Continue your fight 🧡
Not naming the names, but thank you guys for being with me through this journey… and supporting me 🧡
BITCOIN VS. BUREAUCRACY: REGULATION, CONTROL & THE CBDC THREAT
As #Bitcoin rises, so does the pressure to tame it. From MiCA to CBDCs — the fight for financial freedom is heating up.
📍 Mainstage, Saturday, June 21 at 1:50 PM
Join us at nostr:npub167n5w6cj2wseqtmk26zllc7n28uv9c4vw28k2kht206vnghe5a7stgzu3r 🧡
https://blossom.primal.net/0cd283f1335f37b665e07db9f26d672620992fc472c1aa8d00504deb618a5248.mp4
😅😱🙈
Absolutely is worth the struggle!
nevent1qqsgrfs088ss9rac2dftcwm65ja7ky4wrrrv5tam9ysxk89qn4s75cqpramhxue69uhkzarvv9ejumn0wd68ytnvv9hxgtmfdemx76trv4es2k4x35
At #BitcoinConf2025 yesterday, I challenged Bo Hines on #FATF reform—the root cause of discriminatory Bitcoin and any #privacy regulation worldwide.
His response: The administration works with "groups and industry reps" to ensure less illicit crypto transfers.
🚨To these groups working with Bo:
🔻You have power to change global approach to privacy now. Use it!
🔻Stop letting FATF frame #freedomtech as criminal by default and allow dictators to weaponize our financial, travel and communication data. 🧡
🔻Innovation drives progress. #Bitcoin and other freedomtech tools empowers individuals. It's time to separate legitimate use from the narrative of criminality.
Happy to join you in that work!
I do! meeting friends tech-privacy developers for payment and communication.
I share awareness about the insane fact how secret agents of #Kazakhstan wanted to obtain my travel, communication and financial data from the #EU and #US authorities abusing #cybersecurity international laws.
So important to learn what new tech solutions can be used to protect your privacy but at the same time stay functional, when everyone is exposed to the loopholes in the regulations and weaponization of travel, financial and communications data in western countries.
We live in the new reality. If you don’t use the cutting age technology and don’t know how to protect your privacy - you are done.
Hey #bitcoin #Vegas! 🧡
If you are here - let’s meet!
Missing: Bitcoin + human rights discussions at #BitcoinConf2025 📍@thebitcoinconf 🥹
Let's fix this with a side meetup! If you want to exchange views/ have updates on financial freedom, privacy rights, or countering authoritarian financial controls, let's connect 😉.
Im not shaming holders at all, what Im saying that it is not a way to say don’t spend bitcoin.
Im glad that you have other instruments besides bitcoin to pay/buy things. But there are many people, including me, who don’t.