Blogger Kareem Amer held in custody for a further two weeks

The district prosecutor in Moharram Bek on 6 December ordered that Kareem Amer should be remanded in custody for a further two weeks. The blogger was questioned on 6 December in the absence of his lawyers after being transferred to a different judicial office which failed to notify his lawyers of the change. Sources told Reporters Without Borders that the office administrators had deliberately misled the lawyers so they could not attend the questioning of their client. Egyptian authorities arrested Abdel Kareem Nabil Suleiman, known as Kareem Amer, on 6 November 2006, for posting articles critical of Islam on his blog. -------------------- 13.11.06 Officials order blogger “Kareem Amer” held for another two weeks On 8 November, the prosecutor's office in the district of Moharram Bek ordered that blogger Abdel Kareem Nabil Suleiman, who is better known by the pseudonym of Kareem Amer, should be held for another two weeks. At the same time, the prosecutor's office announced that he is charged with circulating rumours liable to disturb the peace, defaming the president, inciting the regime's overthrow, inciting hatred of Islam and circulating ideas prejudicial to Egypt's reputation. ------------------ 8.11.06 Blogger arrested for criticism of Islam Reporters Without Borders condemned the arrest by Egyptian authorities of Abdel Kareem Nabil Suleiman, also known as Kareem Amer, for posting articles critical of Islam on his blog and called for his immediate release. Since his arrest on 6 November, he has been held and questioned at a detention centre in Alexandria, 200 kilometres north of Cairo. “This arrest took place on very day we announced that Egypt was being added to the list of 13 ‘Enemies of the Internet'” the worldwide press freedom organisation said. “It shows just how much the country deserves its place on this black list.” “Hosni Mubarak, who has been in power since 1981, takes a very authoritarian stance in relation to the Internet. The arrest of Kareem Amer is a serious press freedom violation,” Reporters Without Borders added. Last week, the 22-year old blogger condemned the government's religious and authoritarian excesses. He was expelled this year from the Islamic University of al-Azhar for the same reasons. He criticised his professors, saying that their authority would be ended and the Egyptian government would finish “in the dustbin of history”. University administrators then laid a complaint against the cyber-dissident, who is accused of “spreading rumours endangering public security” and “defamation of President Mubarak”. Police arrested Kareem Amer for the first time, on 26 October 2005, for posting anti-religious articles on his blog and held him for 13 days. ------------- Create your blog with Reporters without borders: www.rsfblog.org