Ah, the power of the press release. Great to see that tech sites and mainstream media are today piling in and reporting the the trial of Karim Amer, an Egyptian blogger. All very worthy and proper and good on Amnesty for putting the release on PR newswire today. If it hadn't this might have slipped through the news net as Human Rights Watch called for the trial to end back on January 27th under the headline Egypt: Drop Charges Against Blogger
Trial Shows Need to End Curbs on Free Speech
it's here: http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/01/27/egypt15192.htm
and here's the Amnesty press release.
Trial of Egyptian Blogger Expands Realm of Repression
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Amnesty International
today called for the immediate and unconditional release of Karim Amer, the
first Egyptian blogger to be tried for writing blogs criticizing Egypt's
al-Azhar religious authorities, President Husni Mubarak and Islam.
Karim Amer, a former al-Azhar University student and blogger, is facing
up to 10 years in prison for his writings in a trial that resumes today.
Charges against him include "spreading information disruptive of public
order and damaging to the country's reputation," "incitement to hate Islam"
and "defaming the President of the Republic."
"Karim Amer's trial appears intended as a warning by the authorities to
other bloggers who dare criticize the government or use their blogs to
spread information considered harmful to Egypt's reputation," said Malcolm
Smart, director of the Middle East and North Africa Program. "This is
particularly worrying as bloggers have increasingly been posting
information about human rights abuses in Egypt, including torture and
police violence against peaceful protesters."
The trial opened on Jan. 18, 2007 before Maharram Bek Court in
Alexandria. Karim Amer was charged under Articles 102, 176 and 179 of
Egypt's Penal Code. Amnesty International has been urging the Egyptian
authorities to review or abolish this and other legislation that, in
violation of international standards, stipulates prison sentences for the
mere exercise of the rights of freedom of expression, thought, conscience
and religion.
"Amnesty International considers Karim Amer to be a prisoner of
conscience who is being prosecuted on account of the peaceful expression of
his views about Islam and the al-Azhar religious authorities. We are
calling for his immediate and unconditional release," Smart added.
Background
Karim Amer was first detained by the Egyptian authorities for 12 days
in October 2005 because of his writings on his blog (karam903.blogspot.com)
about Islam and the sectarian riots which took place in the same month in
Alexandria's Maharram Bek district. These riots followed reports that the
video of a play believed to be anti-Islam was being screened in a Coptic
church in the district.
After he was charged and released, disciplinary measures were taken
against him and he was dismissed from al-Azhar University in March 2006.
The university's disciplinary board found him guilty of blaspheming Islam.
He was summoned to appear before the office of the Public Prosecutor in
Maharram Bek district of the city of Alexandria on 7 November 2006
following a complaint made against him by al-Azhar University. The Public
Prosecutor ordered his detention for four days on 7 November, which was
later extended for a further 15 days, to allow further time for
investigation. He has remained in detention since then following a series
of extensions. While in detention, he was kept in solitary confinement and
in incommunicado detention and was only allowed visits by his relatives
last week.
SOURCE Amnesty International
