(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has repeated an appeal for the release of blogger Abdel Kareem Nabil Suleiman – known as Kareem Amer – who has been held in custody for six weeks after posting articles critical of Islam on his blog ( http://www.karam903.blogspot.com ). Amer, aged 22, who was arrested on 6 November 2006, […]
(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has repeated an appeal for the release of blogger Abdel Kareem Nabil Suleiman – known as Kareem Amer – who has been held in custody for six weeks after posting articles critical of Islam on his blog ( http://www.karam903.blogspot.com ).
Amer, aged 22, who was arrested on 6 November 2006, has twice had his period in detention extended for two further weeks by judges in Alexandria.
“The imprisonment of this blogger, who represents no threat to national security, is unacceptable. His outspokenness may not be popular and he has to take responsibility for his comments, but keeping him in custody without trial is a disgrace for Egyptian justice,” the worldwide press freedom organisation said.
“The country is proving yet again that it fully deserves its place on our list of the ’13 Enemies of the Internet’,” it added.
Amer, who is imprisoned in central Alexandria, 200 km north of Cairo, is being held in harsh and unhealthy conditions and shares his cell with common prisoners.
He is accused of, among other things, “incitement to hatred of Islam” and “circulating rumours threatening public order” for having condemned the government’s religious and authoritarian excesses. He was questioned on 8 November and 6 December, after which investigating judges both times renewed his two-week period of detention. His lawyer was denied access at the second questioning session.
He was previously arrested in October 2005 for posting anti-religious articles on his blog and held for 18 days.
