Joseph Oubelkas

About Joseph Oubelkas

On Thursday, December 23, 2004, something happens that drastically changes the young, comfortable life of Joseph Oubelkas. His business trip to Morocco ends in a drama. When he arrives at the site of a business associate on the second to last day of his stay, he sees dozens of shouting, armed men in uniform running around. Unbeknownst to him, Joseph investigates; two vans with nearly 8000 kilos of drugs have just been discovered. The then 24-year-old IT entrepreneur is arrested: innocent and unaware of what is happening to him. A few months later, he hears a demand for a 10-year prison sentence for drug smuggling against him. His world collapses.

Humanity

Supported by his mother, family, friends, and acquaintances, Joseph is slowly but surely able to make the best of his wrongful imprisonment and the harsh prison life. He takes his mother’s advice to heart: “Focus, take responsibility, set goals and achieve them, but you have to do it yourself.” Joseph’s empathy and humanity prove to be peaceful weapons in his struggle to survive. He befriends prisoners and guards. He reads, learns, exercises, teaches, and takes initiative. Despite the errors in the verdict and the conclusion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that there is no evidence, he is imprisoned from December 2004 to June 2009.

Finally Free!

Then comes Wednesday, June 17, 2009: the day of his release. Joseph returns home to a warm welcome. With family and friends, he makes every day a celebration. After months of joy, relief, and fun, Joseph faces a setback. He is unemployed. His then-girlfriend has someone else. He struggles with nightmares and a world that quickly expects him to pick up his life again. The pressure is high. Again, there is the loving circle of family and friends who support him. Joseph regains his footing, meets his current love, and decides to document his experiences in a book. The beginning of his journey back to a beautiful life.

How is he doing now?

Very well! From his years of wrongful imprisonment, the bestseller 400 Letters from My Mother (2011) and the sequel Health Love Freedom (2014) have emerged. Since then, Joseph has been traveling throughout the Netherlands and around the world from his base in Maastricht to share what he has experienced and learned. How he has woven his experiences into his life. Through his books and lectures, he aims to help as many other people as possible move forward. Joseph is fully present in the now. He lets life come as it comes and enjoys the moment with his girlfriend, son, mother, family, and friends. Joseph is now living the dream he had while in prison.

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