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Free Kareem: Two years for blogging is enough
by Scott Gilbreath ~ November 6th, 2008
Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer has been in custody since November 2006 when he was arrested for “insulting Islam” and “insulting the president” over articles he posted online. In February 2007, he was sentenced to a total of four years’ imprisonment.
Today marks the half-way point of his sentence, and Reporters Without Borders is calling for his release, saying two years for a blog is enough.
“Two years have gone by and nothing has changed. His family have never come to visit him. Only his lawyer reports to the outside world, about his morale, which weakens day after day, and his fragile state of health. His parents, probably as a result of intimidation, have even publicly disowned their son and called for him to be sentenced to death. Wardens have prevented him from leaving his cell since 1st September. Two years, that’s enough. It is time to free him”, the worldwide press freedom organisation said.
Rallies in support of Kareem are planned for today in major European cities, as well as New York and Washington.
A Free Kareem Amer image can be downloaded from Reporters Without Borders.
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November 7th, 2008 at 08:55 PM
[...] FREEDOM IN EGYPT: “Free Kareem: Two years for blogging is enough” …. [...]