Tim Bouwens has been in prison in the Philippines for 1 year for 0.6 grams of weed.
Please draw your attention to a fellow cannabis enthusiast who is in a lot of trouble. Tim Bouwens (34) has been living in a cell in the Philippines under appalling conditions for almost a year, purely because of the possession of a paltry 0.6424 grams of weed. And he also had that in his luggage because it was a leftover and forgotten leftover from his stay in Thailand. A cousin of the unfortunate Dutchman has started a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe to cover all legal costs, among other things.
Asia tour turns into a nightmare due to a bit of forgotten weed
We have often reported on the draconian penalties in large parts of Asia for possessing cannabis, let alone producing, smuggling or selling it. So you would think that - especially as a Dutch person - you are forewarned if you go on a long 'dream trip' to that continent.
But yes, just before things go horribly wrong in the Philippines, Tim takes a holiday in Thailand and that is the only Asian country where you can enjoy weed openly and nakedly... That doesn't change the fact that in the Philippines they are of course crazy about anyone to be locked up since April 14, 2023 for an amount of weed that could feed two not-so-fat young boys...
Looking for help for Tim through a fundraising campaign
We will immediately give the floor to Arjen de Kwant, a cousin of Tim, who is raising money to cover all the costs associated with this horror story. He posted an appeal on GoFundMe a week ago under the title:
' Help for Tim in the Philippines '
“ Dear everyone,
I would like to draw your attention to the following story.My cousin Tim (34 years old) had booked a wonderful trip through Asia in 2022. After his relationship ended in Rotterdam, he embarked on an adventure on his own and had a fantastic time here for a number of months. However, due to a nasty turn of events, he has ended up in a real nightmare!
While he had smoked a joint with some friends he had met during this trip at a party in Thailand, possession of which has been legalized in this country just like in the Netherlands, a remnant of it ended up in his bag, and he no longer knew this. , he then traveled to the Philippines.
This country has very strict measures against the possession and/or use of cannabis, among other things. This was of course very sloppy and stupid, but in this case it concerns 0.6424 grams (!), found in his luggage, which means that Tim has now been in captivity in appalling conditions since April 2023!
He spent several months in rooms without daylight, with approximately 200 prisoners on an area of 100 m2. Among murder suspects, among rats, with bad food in a country/prison with terrible corruption and little sympathy for foreign prisoners.
Of course, a lot has to be arranged before his release, including lawyers and various agencies and intermediaries in the Philippines. Fortunately, this was initiated with the help of a number of good people around him, but this also has its price tag. The counter for all these costs has now passed more than 12,000 euros.In the hope of getting him released after almost 12 months in captivity, Tim himself, family and friends, among others, have helped financially, but more is needed. We hope to be able to raise a nice amount to partly cover the legal costs, and thus perhaps organize a debt-free (re)start for Tim!”
' Help for Tim in the Philippines '
Support Tim with a donation or an uplifting message
This is a terrible situation, but the good news is that at the time of writing, 232 donations have already been promised, worth 7,516 euros. If you still have a sock with some savings lying around somewhere, please give something to Tim as well. Nobody deserves this for half a gram of weed!The GoFundMe page for Tim Bouwens can be found HERE
You can contact Tim with a DM via his Instagram
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