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‘Insulting’ blog lands Egyptian in jail

Last Updated: Thursday, February 22, 2007 | 12:10 PM ET

CBC News

An Egyptian court sentenced a blogger to four years in prison on Thursday for writing online entries that insulted Islam and the president.

It was Egypt’s first prosecution of a blogger. In a brief, five-minute session in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, a judge handed down the verdict to convict 22-year-old Abdel Karrem Nabil on charges of “insulting Islam” and inciting sedition, as well as the charge of insulting President Hosni Mubarak.

Prosecutors accused Nabil of criticizing his former university, an Islamic institution. They noted Nabil had called the Al-Azhar University “the university of terrorism” on his blog, condemning it for suppressing free thought.

As the verdict was read Thursday, Nabil, wearing a grey T-shirt, gave no reaction from the defendant’s pen. Guards immediately escorted him to a prison truck and he did not comment to reporters.

The former law student pleaded not guilty to all the charges and had faced a possible maximum sentence of nine years in prison.

Assuming the blogger handle “Kareem Amer,” Nabil used the online journal to deride Mubarak’s regime, calling him a dictator.

In an interview with the CNN, the prosecutor said that he hopes that all judges who would handle similar cases would go with a similar verdict because it is the will of god. After the government crackdown on internet activity in China, this latest development in Egypt sure sends a chilling effect to those bloggers who express their dissent with religion and their country’s government. Aside from Kareem, the Egyptian government is currently prosecuting 21 bloggers for similar charges.

We, the bloggers from all over the world have to show that we will not take this irresponsible abuse of power sitting down.

Blog about the plight and show these oppressive forces that we care about our liberties and our right to freedom of expression. Let us be bold to show out support towards those who are wrongly prosecuted and unfairly persecuted for their unpopular (yet still rational) beliefs. The Egyptian media has not covered this issue fully in fears of being sued themselves. We shouldn’t be fazed. Let us show the dictatorial Egyptian government how much bloggers value and appreciate the ability to speak their minds against those who threaten our basic liberties.

FREE ABDELKAREEM NABIL SOLIMAN!
http://www.freekareem.org

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