Egyptian blogger on trial
p2pnet.net News:- Egyptian blogger Abdelkareem Nabil is now on trial on charges of insulting Islam and causing sectarian strife.
“Egypt’s first prosecution of a blogger came as Washington has backed away from pressuring its Mideast ally to improve its human rights record and bring democratic reform,” says Associated Press.
He first received international attention early last year, “when he was kicked out of Al Azhar University for posts he wrote on his blog,” says the Free Kareem site, going on:
During that first incident, he was detained by police but eventually released. Despite his first arrest, he has continued to speak his mind on women’s rights, religious freedom, and academic freedom.
On November 6, Abdelkareem was again interrogated over his blogposts. A human rights lawyer from the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information was present to represent Abdelkareem. But the police still decided to arrest him.
His trial in Alexandria began two days after US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice met with Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, “seeking support for a new American strategy on calming violence in Iraq,” says AP, adding:
“But unlike past visits, Rice made no reference to reform, instead praising the two countries’ ‘important strategic relationship ‘ one that we value greatly’.”
Nabil is charged with inciting sedition, insulting Islam, harming national unity and insulting the president, a court official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of court rules, says AP, adding:
“Defense attorneys asked for time to review the indictment and the trial was adjourned until Jan. 25.”
There’s a video interview with Nabil on YouTube.
Also See:
Associated Press – Egyptian blogger stands trial, January 19, 2007
Bloomberg News – Apple Shares Fall as Mac Sales, Forecast Disappoint, January 18, 2007
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