Objections to the 2025 WMF Board election removals

Two candidates for the 2025 WMF Board election, Ravan (talk • meta edits • global user summary • CA) (Ravan J Al-Taie) and Bluerasberry (talk • meta edits • global user summary • CA) (Lane Rasberry), were removed from the ballot around October 1, 2025, a week before voting was set to begin. This was two months after the shortlisted finalists for the ballot had been selected by an affiliate vote and had begun campaigning in earnest.

The removal was communicated publicly on October 3; community responses began appearing later that week.

About the disqualified candidates

Ravan is a long-term contributor to the Wikimedia movement, the founder of the Wikimedians of Iraq User Group, and the only woman in this year's Board selection. She also serves on several Wikimedia committees.

Lane (Bluerasberry) is a long-term editor and community leader in the Movement, contributing extensively to public outreach and speaking as well as to The Signpost. He has the most experience with data science and AI among the candidates.

Communication about the decision

• August 21: process update and timeline change "Change to the order of the selection process"
  • FAQ about this update and a variety of specific details
• October 1: the process update is formalized in a Board policy: "Board of Trustees Candidate Review Process"
• October 3 election update (email / meta: "Board of Trustees Selection – Candidate Ballot") and followup ("more answers")

General discussion

• Meta-Wiki
  • Discussion of the October Board update
  • Questions for the Election Committee
  • Wikimedia Deutschland’s statement on the new review process for BoT candidates and suggestions for next steps
  • 2025 WMF Board reform petition (mailing list thread)
• Individual projects
  • Wikipedia Signpost#Lane not on the ballot (enwiki)
  • Village pump (WMF)#About the 2025 Board of Trustees Elections (enwiki)
  • A timeline of the events so far, in The Signpost (enwiki)
  • Donnez votre avis : votez pour le conseil d'administration 2025 de la Fondation Wikimedia (frwiki)
  • Elezioni Board Wikimedia: esclusione di due candidati (itwiki)

Statements from the candidates

• Lane's post about removing him from the ballot (Meta-Wiki, 3 October 2025)
• "Smear Campaign Against Ravan" post (written by several Wikimedians, posted by Ravan) (Meta-Wiki, 11 October 2025)
• Ravan's U4C complaint against Victoria Doronina (Meta-Wiki, 14 October 2025)

Letters in support of the candidates (one or both)

Affiliates

Basque Wikimedians User Group

The Basque Wikimedians are deeply concerned by the exclusion of the candidates Ravan and Lane Rasberry from the 2025 Board of Trustees election. Ravan was the only female candidate in the process, who also happened to voice her support to Palestinian positions. Therefore, we demand to the Wikimedia Foundation clear explanations on its decision, which remains opaque, and the suspension of this year's election process.

Wikimedia LGBT+

Members of the Wikimedia LGBTQ+ user group demand that the Board recognize that their blackballing of two of the six candidates for the Foundation Board of trustees has been unacceptable and counter to the stated values of the WMF. […] There have been two candidates rejected without a credible explanation. Rejecting either candidate based on “lack of experience”, political attacks or dubious conflict of interest have been based on falsehoods or just incomprehensible. Ravan was the only woman candidate left in the running and Lane was the only openly queer candidate remaining in the election. This has been the opposite of the previously publicly stated values of the WMF commitment to representing minority voices and diversity.

Language-specific communities

Arabic-speaking community

The Arabic Wikimedia community expresses deep concern over the unexplained disqualification of candidates Ravan and Lane Rasberry from the 2025 Board of Trustees elections, particularly amid a media campaign targeting Ravan for her pro-Palestinian stance. In response, we, the undersigned Arabic Wikimedia members and affiliates, demand transparency from the Wikimedia Foundation and announce our boycott of this year's election.

To read the full statement and learn more, please visit the page above.

Spanish-speaking and Italian-speaking community

The Spanish-speaking community expresses its rejection of Ravan's separation, asserting the rights that have been violated. They call for a boycott of the vote and for the process to be restarted with guarantees of participation for all.

Note: These two statements are verbally similar, essentially differing by translation language (one Spanish, one Italian).

Other

Meta-Wiki community

The page includes open questions that signatories hope the Board of Trustees will dialogue with the Wikimedia community about, to clarify what happened. The aim of posing these questions is to create dialogue towards a more harmonious and productive relationship between the Wikimedia Foundation and the community on issues relating to the elections of the Board of Trustees and community trust in Wikimedia elections policy and proceedings past, present, and future.