[2020] Del 2. Europe v Rivierenland

[Imperium Anglorum]

Received was a complaint by the Home Secretary. Home Secretary, please post that complaint below. From first glance, the matter would tend about the requirement specified by legislation as amended:

Harassment. Any person which carries out or threatens to carry out an invasion of privacy or the unwanted release of personal information, is guilty of harassment. Such an offence shall be punished with a ban not to exceed four months.​

 

[Feria-Alkaline]

Noted, Delegate. Below is the full text of the complaint.

Complaint filed at Rivierenland by Dizgovzy

The nation known as Rivierenland has repeatedly shared my personal information in both #chatter and #general of Eurocord. This includes my legal name and youtube channel which shares that name. Rivierenland found my channel through digging through the comments section of a very large video and matching it to my first name. He knew which video to go to as I had been speaking with Eritei about it. After doing this, he posted on chatter calling me by my legal name. I immediately got very defencive, as I never wanted Rivierenland to either have my channel/name and especially share it in a large discord server. I told Rivierenland to delete his message and to never share it again. A few weeks later, Rivierenland shared it again during a conversation with multiple other people in Eurocord. I had joked that I was female so that I could replace Scarlett as First Deputy Commissioner. Upon this, Rivierenland posted my name again. I told him to take down my name, to which he replied "[you're not a girl then]". I told him the same as the previous time, albeit much angrier this time because he had done it again even though I had explicitly requested him not to.

Fast forward to today, 30 April, and Drew Durnil released his second NationStates video. In Eurocord, Rivierenland mentioned to everyone that I was in the video. My comment on his previous video appears on screen while he is reading another. It was very clear to any one who saw the video that my Dizgovzy was not in the video, but that my comment/channel/name was. Rivierenland shared this with the people in the server at the time even though I was telling him not to. This was the 3rd time. Members such as Satherland, who I did not want having my channel and full name, were thus given it. A quote from Satherland, "I never knew that was your last name XD"

Rivierenland showed little to no remorse after sharing my name with the entirety of Eurocord active at that time. I left the servers for Eurocord, ESTO, and EuroNews shortly after both due to the fact that my identity was compromised and the fact that Rivierenland was in all of those servers. I can't comfortably stay (cont.) because a large amount of people who I did not want or give permission to have my personal information have it. I will admit that I have been more liberal in personal information, my first name and city of residence are not hard to find, but I am scared and appalled that Rivierenland would go against my requests and share my personal information with the general populace.

These following nations would be willing to testify on my behalf:
Eritei
The Oriental Empire
Kalifer and Baska

 

[Imperium Anglorum]

As mentioned in the Eurocord Discord, I would like to hear from the listed members above, those willing to provide information, and from witnesses. Also from that Discord, I believe Regnum Italiae and Outer Sparta wanted to deliver evidence as relates to the matter. I will direct them to the thread and request that he provide evidence under oath.

 

[Regnum Italiae]

My nation name is Regnum Italiae.
I certify under penalty of perjury that everything I will say in this post is true and accurate, to the best of my knowledge.
These are the screenshots I took

You must be registered for see links

You must be registered for see links

 

[Dizgovzy]

My nation name is Dizgovzy.
I certify under penalty of perjury that everything I will say in this post is true and accurate, to the best of my knowledge.
The statement given to Feria-Alkaline is true and accurate. I would like to call Eritei, The Oriental Empire, and Kalifer and Baska as witnesses on my behalf.

 

[Imperium Anglorum]

My nation name is Dizgovzy.
I certify under penalty of perjury that everything I will say in this post is true and accurate, to the best of my knowledge.
The statement given to Feria-Alkaline is true and accurate. I would like to call Eritei, The Oriental Empire, and Kalifer and Baska as witnesses on my behalf.

Please contact them and request that they post their testimony and give the oath.

 

[Lividgravy5]

My nation name is Eritei.
I certify under penalty of perjury that everything I will say in this post is true and accurate, to the best of my knowledge.
I can remember the conversation I had with Dizgozvy about the comment, we were doing it in either General or Chatter on Eurocord.
Later, on April 30th, Drew Durnil posted his video, and Rivierenland posted a comment saying how Dizgozvy was in the video. I knew what he meant (I watched the video) however Rivierenland did call Dizgovzy our on his personal information there.

 

[The Oriental Empire]

My nationstates name is The Oriental Empire.
I certify under penalty of perjury that everything said in this post is true and accurate, to the best of my knowledge.

I opened discord to witness the aftermath of the ordeal, Rivierenland was posting what he called "hints" to Dizgovzy's real life identity even though he protested against this several times. This was followed by a comment from Rivierenland; "Jeez, i only gave a clue" which was uncalled for especially considering the severity of the situation, Rivierenland gave Dizgovzy's identity away to a group of stranger of which he had no intention of giving said info to. I confirm that Rivierenland did leak sensitive information against the victim's will.

 

[Rivierenland]

My nationstates name is Rivierenland.
I certify under penalty of perjury that everything said in this post is true and accurate, to the best of my knowledge.

I plead guilty to the crime of harassment, as per the fact that I've released secretive information about Dizgovzy without his consent. I admit that i shouldn't have done that especially considering that this is the third time that i have done this (i won't deny the prior two times) and i should've listened to Dizgovzy's warnings in the first two times. What i did was wrong and I should've known better and there's no way to revert it now. I'd like to apologize to Dizgovzy, but i understand very well if he doesn't accept my apology. I did stuff i shouldn't have and now i must pay the price.

 

[Dizgovzy]

Noting Kalifer and Baska's current inactivity, I would like to call The Mongol Plain as an additional witness.

 

[Rivierenland]

I would like to call up the Republic of Satherland to testify on my behalf

 

[Imperium Anglorum]

Noting Kalifer and Baska's current inactivity, I would like to call The Mongol Plain as an additional witness.

I would like to call up the Republic of Satherland to testify on my behalf

Please telegram those persons and request that they deliver their testimony with the required oath within two days.

 

[Imperium Anglorum]

All of the testimony so far relates to the last case mentioned in the complaint (relating to Drew Durnil's second video). Can any testimony be provided related to the first case alleged in the complaint?

 

[Imperium Anglorum]

Continued from remarks in #public-enquiry.

I can remember the conversation I had with Dizgozvy about the comment, we were doing it in either General or Chatter on Eurocord.

Could you clarify that this relates specifically to the first instance alleged in the complaint?

 

[Lividgravy5]

Could you clarify that this relates specifically to the first instance alleged in the complaint?

Yes, I can confirm that this was the first instance alleged in the complaint

 

[The Mongol Plain]

My nationstates name is The Mongol Plain.
I certify under penalty of perjury that everything said in this post is true and accurate, to the best of my knowledge.

I witnessed Rivierenland post Dizgovzy's full name in chatter on Multiple occasions in #chatter, including the first and second instance alleged in the complaint. Rivierenland had done this multiple times, said that he wouldn't do it again but then repeated it.

 

[Satherland]

My NationStates name is Republic of Satherland.
I certify under penalty of perjury that everything said in this post is true and accurate, to the best of my knowledge.

I never witnessed the plaintiff's full name being released before the second Durnil video was published. Therefore, I cannot testify on those events. I can however provide my testimony as one of the people present on Friday, 30th April, on the day were the second offence took place.

At 16:04 hrs UTC on Friday, the accused posted a video on the #chatter channed on Eurocord. The video was titled "I broke the game by getting 30,000+ players to join at the same time", by Drew Durnil. The start of the video included a brief look at the comments section of his first video regarding the game NationStates, which featured a comment by the plaintiff using his full name. The comment, which has since been deleted by the plaintiff, received 299 likes and 5 replies. Whether the accused has anything to do with this is unknown.

Below his post, the accused mentioned to the plaintiff that he was in the video. In response, The Mongol Plain quipped that "Diz is famous", presumably in a humorous manner. The dust appeared to have settled when Alienage (under the account name "Vicente"), claimed outright that the plaintiff was not in the video released by Mr Durnil, before both the plaintiff and the accused clarified that the plaintiff was indeed in the video. At this point, I was under the impression that the plaintiff's nation (Dizgovzy) was featured in the video, and not his full name.

In response, Alienage said that he'll "make investigations" on the matter. The accused then pointed to the location of the plaintiff's name to Alienage, asking him to "make your guess out of the comments shown". This caused an outburst by the plaintiff, telling the accused to "[redacted] YOU". The plaintiff went on to say that he never gave the accused permission to share his real name to anyone. This erupted in a relatively one-sided argument with the plaintiff lashing out at the accused for invading his privacy and destroying his anonymity, which was shrugged off by the accused.

This was when I got involved. Perceiving this argument to be humorous in nature, I quipped to the plaintiff that he should "enjoy his 15 minutes of fame. XD". The plaintiff responded simply by saying "Great, you have it too," and "Well shit." Still under the impression that the plaintiff was in a humorous mood, I responded, saying:

"C'mon, don't be like that. What's the harm in us accidentally finding out about your real name?
And it's not like THAT many people know your name from that dispatch...."

This referenced a dispatch released by the plaintiff several months ago, which included the plaintiff's first name.

The plaintiff responded, telling me to "go to hell". This finally brought me back down to reality, and I realised the severity of the situation. By this point, the accused no longer engaged in this conversation. Under my interpretation, our encounter ended in a truce of some sort, with myself no longer joking about the plaintiff's misfortune.

In the aftermath, I contacted both the plaintiff and the defendant. While the plaintiff chose not to respond to my messages (probably rightly so), the accused confided in me.

When I asked how we was after everything that went down, he told me that he was "more concerned with how Diz is after how i [Rivierenland] treated him".

When pressed with the possibility of a 4 month ban in accordance with the Criminal Law Act 2018, the accused said that the sentence "serves me [Rivierenland] right", further stating that the accused "had it coming".

When I expressed remorse for his situation, he said: "Don't feel sorry for me, feel sorry for Diz, since he's the victim in the crime i committed", further stating that "he deserves the (positive) attention more than i do". The accused stated further that "I'm a crook and Diz is my victim".

With all the evidence laid out for this court, I, while simply a witness and not the legal representative of the accused, would like to plead for leniency from this court. While do not condone the accused's actions, I believe that he truly feels remorse for his wrongdoings and will no longer commit offences on this charge. As the primary purpose of a sentencing is to rehabilitate criminals and deter them from committing the same offences again, I believe that the accused has seen the error of his ways and should be granted leniency, as he has pleaded guilty and expressed remorse for his actions against the plaintiff.

As such, I would implore this court to give the accused a sentence not exceeding two months. I believe that our great region is a compassionate one, that chooses not to judge an individual for their worst actions. And I believe that the accused is well on the path of rehabilitation and is no longer a threat to society. Thank you.

 

[Dizgovzy]

I have additional evidence sent to me by someone who has requested to remain anonymous.

You must be registered for see links

You must be registered for see links

These chat screenshots show that Rivierenland was told by Gor Kebab / Gor Nacho that if he [Rivierenland] were to show remorse, then the court would be more lenient. I do not believe that Rivierenland was truly remorseful, especially after his reactions to sharing my name [by shrugging it off and repeating the offence]. Due to this chat's contents after the trial had begun, it is very possible that Rivierenland may be saying things that he does not truly mean in order to receive a lesser sentence.

Edit: I would like to clarify "truly remorseful". I do believe that Rivierenland showed remorse to the doxxing, however I am very suspicious that the quick admission of guilt, and also leaving Europe, changing his motto and pretitle, are largely motivated by the presence of a punishable offence and the commencement of this trial.

 

[Dizgovzy]

The comment, which has since been deleted by the plaintiff, received 299 likes and 5 replies. Whether the accused has anything to do with this is unknown.

I have not deleted the comment, and I do not believe that Rivierenland has responded to it.

Below his post, the accused mentioned to the plaintiff that he was in the video. In response, The Mongol Plain quipped that "Diz is famous", presumably in a humorous manner. The dust appeared to have settled when Alienage (under the account name "Vicente"), claimed outright that the plaintiff was not in the video released by Mr Durnil, before both the plaintiff and the accused clarified that the plaintiff was indeed in the video. At this point, I was under the impression that the plaintiff's nation (Dizgovzy) was featured in the video, and not his full name.

This is true. I did say that I was in the video. I shall return to this point.

In response, Alienage said that he'll "make investigations" on the matter. The accused then pointed to the location of the plaintiff's name to Alienage, asking him to "make your guess out of the comments shown". This caused an outburst by the plaintiff, telling the accused to "[redacted] YOU". The plaintiff went on to say that he never gave the accused permission to share his real name to anyone. This erupted in a relatively one-sided argument with the plaintiff lashing out at the accused for invading his privacy and destroying his anonymity, which was shrugged off by the accused.

This was when I got involved. Perceiving this argument to be humorous in nature, I quipped to the plaintiff that he should "enjoy his 15 minutes of fame. XD". The plaintiff responded simply by saying "Great, you have it too," and "Well shit." Still under the impression that the plaintiff was in a humorous mood, I responded, saying:

"C'mon, don't be like that. What's the harm in us accidentally finding out about your real name?
And it's not like THAT many people know your name from that dispatch...."

This referenced a dispatch released by the plaintiff several months ago, which included the plaintiff's first name.

The plaintiff responded, telling me to "go to hell". This finally brought me back down to reality, and I realised the severity of the situation. By this point, the accused no longer engaged in this conversation. Under my interpretation, our encounter ended in a truce of some sort, with myself no longer joking about the plaintiff's misfortune.

I should note that my altercation with Mr. Satherland was rude on my part. It is unfortunate that we have a rough history and I feel that my anger from past circumstance contributed to this. I would like to apologize to Satherland and Rivierenland for my language.

While the plaintiff chose not to respond to my messages (probably rightly so)

Again, I would like to apologize for this immaturity on my part.

With all the evidence laid out for this court, I, while simply a witness and not the legal representative of the accused, would like to plead for leniency from this court. While do not condone the accused's actions, I believe that he truly feels remorse for his wrongdoings and will no longer commit offences on this charge. As the primary purpose of a sentencing is to rehabilitate criminals and deter them from committing the same offences again, I believe that the accused has seen the error of his ways and should be granted leniency, as he has pleaded guilty and expressed remorse for his actions against the plaintiff.

As such, I would implore this court to give the accused a sentence not exceeding two months. I believe that our great region is a compassionate one, that chooses not to judge an individual for their worst actions. And I believe that the accused is well on the path of rehabilitation and is no longer a threat to society. Thank you.

I had a large time alone with my family today, and in the car I realized that I had unintentionally neglected to tell the court an important piece of information. The plaintiff and I had followed each other on semi-personal Twitter accounts (no last names) for the past few months. The reason that I had forgotten this is that I do not use Twitter. I had originally followed Rivierenland so that I could connect with Potus Branada. I would like to apologize to the court for unintentionally withholding this.

Noting this, and my time away from NationStates to truly reflect on this situation, I truly do believe that Rivierenland is remorseful and is only guilty of violating my trust. I would like to explain this now. This entire situation could have been avoided had I discussed the non Drew video and subsequent comment with Eritei outside of Eurocord. As well, my previous share of personal information with Rivierenland was me giving him my trust and consent. Furthermore, I did not realize how many people in our group of regulars knew each others' full names. It seems that I was oblivious to this, and that in my anger I do believe I overreacted with both my language and the complaint. I value Rivierenland most as a friend of mine, I've known him since the day he joined, and frankly I'm sick of burning bridges with my friends here. I don't want Riv to be the same. This situation is as much my fault as it is his. It's not like people in Europe didn't already know my name (I can give pre-Riv examples if needed). So, to Riv, I'd ask your forgiveness for starting this whole cycle that could have ended in a punishment that neither of us wanted. I want to put this behind us. This may be an elephant in the room for a while, but I want your friendship back.

And to the court, I respect what ever decision that you make, but I would like to formally withdraw my complaint and request that Rivierenland be given a pardon.

EDIT: I mentioned earlier that I would "come back to this point", about confirming in Eurocord that I was in the second Drew video. This is another reason why I believe that Rivierenland cannot be fully put to blame for this situation, as I myself confirmed my presence.

 

[Imperium Anglorum]

And to the court, I respect what ever decision that you make, but I would like to formally withdraw my complaint and request that Rivierenland be given a pardon.

Per this request and a personal appeal from the complainant for me to take this into consideration, with there being no complaint or controversy to solve, I end proceedings here. If a further complaint is filed, it should be a separate one and not a continuation of this one.

I will lock the thread tomorrow.