Cairo court to rule on jailed blogger’s appeal

Reporters Without Borders calls on a Cairo court to release Abdel Kareem Nabil Suleiman, a blogger better known as Kareem Amer, when it considers his appeal tomorrow. The court may decide to refer the case to another court in six months time on the grounds that it can only rule on the questions of law of the case but not facts. Kareem’s lawyers would like a fair retrial, but they are also requesting his release for good conduct on 5 November when he will have completed three-quarters of his four-year sentence. Interior minister Habib Ibrahim Habib Al-Adli is apparently opposed to his release although Egyptian law provides for the possibility. “What legitimacy does the interior minister have for intervening in judicial matters and keeping a blogger in prison ?,” Reporters Without Borders said. “We support Kareem Amer’s lawyers and we urge the country's highest appeal court to rule in his favour and to order his release on completion of three quarters of his sentence.” The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) has urged President Hosni Mubarak to ensure that Kareem is released, noting that the interior minister recently intervened to obtain the release of a police officer convicted of torture. “There is a big difference between a prisoner of conscience and a police officer who had been convicted of one of the most shameful and ruthless crimes – torture,” the ANRI said. Held in Borg-Al-Arab prison since 6 November 2006, when he was jailed at the behest of prosecutor Moharram Bey, Kareem was sentenced to four years in prison on 22 February 2007 on a charge of “inciting hatred of Islam.” Among the various forms of mistreatment in prison, he has been forbidden to leave his cell, he has been denied cell lighting and medical treatment, and he has not been allowed visits since March on the orders of state security officials. Kareem was arrested for criticising discrimination against women, the government’s religious and authoritarian excesses, and Egypt’s leading religious institutions such as the Sunni university of Al-Azhar. He posted his criticism on his blog (http://www.karam903.blogspot.com/) and on the Al Hewar Al Motamaden website. Read and sign the petition for Kareem Amer’s release: http://www.rsf.org/fr-petition21985-Kareem_Amer.html