Our wonderful friends in Sweden inform us that a manifestation in support for Kareem will be held on Wednesday, February 21st outside the Egyptian Embassy in Stockholm. Speakers will include a member of the Swedish Parliament, Fredrik Malm, and Johan Norberg (who has met Kareem). I encourage anyone near the area to attend.

Here are the details on the event (thanks to Johan and Jonas):

The Egyptian blogger Abdelkareem has been detained since November because he spoke his mind. On February 22nd Kareem will be the first Egyptian to stand trial for Internet-based journalism. Because of his arguments for secularism, women’s rights and free speech this 22-year old blogger faces up to 11 years in jail. More information here.

Right now several Swedish bloggers and others are preparing a protest against this attack on freedom of expression. Please help us to show support for human rights in Egypt. Mark your calendar, and if you are a blogger, please spread the word.

Meet us outside the Egyptian Embassy

Strandvägen 35, Stockholm

Wednesday, 21 February, 12.00

Speakers:

Henrik Alexandersson, blogger

Fredrik Malm, Member of Parliament

Johan Norberg, author

Organiser: Jonas Virdalm, <virdalm[at]runbox[dot]com>

Liberté Chérie, a libertarian federation of associations based in France, reported the on the success of their Paris rally on Free Kareem Day:

The manifestation for Kareem took place as expected on Thursday at noon, despite the fact [that] the Ministère de l’Intérieur was a bit reluctant at letting us approach too close to the Egyptian embassy. But the policemen were on our side, so all diplomatic vehicles in the vicinity got a “Free Kareem” leaflet for meditation.

One hundred full-size posters were stuck on the walls near the Place de l’Etoile / Arc de Triomphe (with adhesive tape on Kareem’s mouth, as a symbol). An Iranian girl and two Egyptians we met in the street even helped us distribute our leaflets!

Photos:

Merci beaucoup, Liberté Chérie!

Other Rallies Held Worldwide on Free Kareem Day:
- London
- New York City
- Rome
- Washington, D.C.

Reported by Al-Masree Al-Yawm (The Egyptian Today), with thanks to Dalia.

The article is in Arabic. Here’s my translation, in full:

Family of Al-Azhar Student, Accused of “Contempt of Religion”, Disowns Him Before His Court Verdict Session

Written by Nabeel Abu Shal and Tamer Al-Sharqawy
18/2/2007

The family of Al-Azhar student Abdul Kareem Nabeel Suleiman, accused of “contempt of religion”, has disowned him before his court verdict session on the upcoming Thursday. His father, a retired mathematics teacher, has demanded applying the Sharia [Islamic law] ruling on him by giving him three days to repent, followed by having him killed if he does not announce his repentance.

The father of the Al-Azhar student, who is accused of contempt of the Islamic religion, harming the reputation of Egypt, and inciting to disrupt the peace and to overthrow the regime, has decided to rescind from boycotting his trial hearing sessions. [He has decided] to attend the court verdict session with his four brothers, who completely memorized the Holy Quran, to announce disowning the accused Abdul Kareem inside the court room, in order to reduce the embarrassment and pressure that civil rights organizations are applying on the court panel.

The father of the accused also described the organizations that are working on having his son acquitted as “monkey rights” organizations, in his own words. He also described his son as the “monkey” who has imitated the atheists of the West in their intellectual thinking.

The family also said that they will announce their disownment of their son on the Internet as well.

The Dean of Sharia in Al-Azhar University, which the student Abdul Kareem attends, had him attend a disciplinary hearing after he attacked the Islamic religion on the Internet, and spoke against the Messenger of Allah – peace and blessings be upon him – and the companions [of the prophet of Islam].

David Smith from The Observer, a United Kingdom Sunday newspaper, wrote about Kareem Amer’s case.

(Source)

Irrepressible.info, The Observer’s joint campaign with Amnesty International calling for freedom of speech online, now has the support of almost 62,000 people around the world. Attention has shifted to Egypt where, last November, Karim Amer was detained by the authorities because of political writings on his blog.

Amer will learn on Thursday whether he faces 10 years in jail, following a trial that has been condemned by human rights groups. He is the first person to be prosecuted in Egypt for online writings; observers fear this may mark a new clampdown on freedom of speech.

Amer, 22, a former student at al-Azhar University, wrote blog entries criticising Egypt’s al-Azhar religious authorities, President Mubarak and Islam. Charges against him include ’spreading information disruptive of public order and damaging to the country’s reputation’, ‘incitement to hate Islam’ and ‘defaming the President’.

His lawyer, Gamal Eid, said last week: ‘I am very pessimistic about the verdict, but I have great hope for the appeal.’

Malcolm Smart of Amnesty International said: ‘Karim Amer’s trial appears intended as a warning by the authorities to other bloggers who dare criticise the government or use their blogs to spread information considered harmful to Egypt’s reputation.’

Please support free speech for everyone by signing the Internet freedom pledge at Irrepressible.info.

René Wadlow, Main Representative, and David G. Littman, Representative, of the Association for World Education to the United Nations Office in Geneva, have sent a letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, calling her to speak out for Kareem’s freedom:

(Source: Dhimmi Watch)

Appeal to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour: Help free Egyptian blogger Abdelkareem Nabil Soliman

On 15 February, the day that demonstrators around the world will protest against the continued imprisonment of Egyptian blogger Abdelkareem Nabil Soliman, a 22-year-old student arrested on 6 November 2006 for criticizing the Egyptian government – and also accused of posting criticism of Islam on his personal website – the Association for World Education is appealing to you as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to condemn his continued imprisonment and to call on the Egyptian authorities to drop all charges against Mr. Soliman, also known by his online handle, Kareem Amer.

This is not the first time he has been arrested. His writings also led to him being expelled from Egypt’s Al-Azhar University earlier in 2006. Since his arrest over three months ago, he has been kept in solitary confinement and has been denied access to his lawyer and to his family. Several Middle Eastern human rights organizations have expressed concern for his life, and the recent TV revelations of the customary torture practised in Egyptian prisons on almost anyone arrested has heightened these fears.

The Egyptian Government has cracked down on Internet freedom and at least seven cyber-dissidents were jailed in 2006. Last June, a State Council administrative court endorsed an information and communications ministry decision allowing the authorities to block, suspend or shut down websites considered a threat to “national security.”

Kareem, the first person prosecuted in Egypt for Internet-based journalism, has stated that he believes women and men should be treated equally; that Islamic extremism is gravely hurting Arab society; and that freedom of expression is a fundamental human right.

The Internet has made possible the dissemination of these ideals to a global audience. For that reason, some in Egypt evidently feel threatened by Kareem and others who, like him, are not afraid to speak their minds in upholding, courageously, the principles clearly enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenants, which have been adopted and ratified by the Government of Egypt.

Protests will take place today worldwide in New York City, Washington, DC, Ottawa, London, Paris, Rome, and Bucharest. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders have all condemned his imprisonment, which strike at the basic roots of the human rights covenants. Other human rights defenders have spoken up in his defence, and for the universal human rights principles directly involved.

The Association for World Education calls on you, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, to raise your voice for Egypt to free Abdelkareem Nabil Soliman now.

Respectfully,

René Wadlow (Main Representative) David G. Littman (Representative)
(Association for World Education to the United Nations Office in Geneva)

Please e-mail the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and ask them to help set Kareem free at tb-petitions[at]ohchr[dot]org. (Additional contact information here).

Kareem’s case has appeared in La Repubblica, an Italian newspaper. (Hat tip: Saro)

Screen shot:

You can read it all in Italian here, and in (broken) English here (If the English link fails you, use the Google translator).

The article links to this Web site and to the petition set up at PetitionOnline.com. That explains why we’ve had more than 200 hundred new signatures on that petition today from Italians (and the number is still rising like mad):

Please don’t forget to also sign the petition letters set up by HAMSA! (Here and here).

To Kareem’s Italian supporters: Grazie infinite!

Update (17/Feb/2007): Thanks to our fellow Italians, the petition now has over 2,000 signatures.

Now I know who to cheer for during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Latest press release -

NEW YORK– Demonstrators around the world will protest on February 15th against the continued imprisonment of Egyptian blogger Abdelkareem Nabil Soliman, a 22-year-old student arrested last November for criticizing the Egyptian government on his personal website. Protests will take place in New York City, London, Rome, Paris, Ottawa, Bucharest, Washington, DC, and a growing number of cities, in hopes of persuading Egyptian authorities to drop all charges against Mr. Soliman, also known by his online handle, Kareem Amer.

Kareem, the first person prosecuted in Egypt for Internet-based journalism, has stated that he believes that women and men should be treated equally; that Islamic extremism is hurting Arab society; and that freedom of expression is a fundamental human right. The Internet has made possible the dissemination of these ideals to a global audience. For that reason, some in Egypt evidently feel threatened by Kareem and others who, like him, are not afraid to speak their minds.

This is not the first time Kareem has been arrested. His writings also led to him being expelled from Egypt’s Al-Azhar University earlier in 2006. Since his arrest in November, he has been kept in solitary confinement and has been denied access to his lawyer and to his family. Several Middle Eastern human rights organizations have expressed concern for his life. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders have all condemned his arrest.

The roster of government officials who have written the Egyptian government on behalf of justice for Kareem continues to grow. Last week, three members of the Italian parliament—Antonio Martino, Daniele Capezzone, and Gaetano Quagliariello—sent letters to the Egyptian government pleading for Kareem’s release. In January, two US congressmen, Republican Trent Franks and Democrat Barney Frank, wrote the Egyptian Ambassador in Washington.

Media may contact Constantino Diaz-Duran, Director of the New York Free Kareem Coalition, by email at constantino@c-dd.com, or on +1 202-288-3328. More information can also be obtained at www.FreeKareem.org.

Much thanks to friends in Rome, three Italian MPs have written letters to the Egyptian Ambassador - Former Defense minister Antonio Martino, the head of the industry committee, Daniele Capezzone, and senator Gaetano Quagliariello.

THANK YOU!

Rallies have been confirmed in NYC, Washington, London, Ottawa, Rome and Bucharest on the 15th of February. People from these various countries will unite on that date in support of Kareem and free speech.

For details and more information about the rallies and its leaders, or if you’re interested in organizing a rally in your own country, please contact Constantino Diaz-Duran at -

constantino (at) c-dd (dot) com

Please stay tuned for more information and coverage.

Remember that rallies can make a difference. Even if you are only 3 people, you can get your message across. Please consider doing this for the sake of not only Kareem, but in the name of freedom of speech as well.

Update - We’ve just been informed that two representatives from RSF will come to Cairo on 18-19 Feb. to meet the Minister of Justice and other officials about Kareem.