Dear Supporters,

Two weeks ago, we broke the joyous news that Kareem Amer had been released from imprisonment in Egypt. The Free Kareem Coalition worked in tandem with many organizations and individuals over the past four years to raise awareness of Kareem’s fight for justice, and with Kareem’s release, it is time to call an end to our mission.

A component of the Coalition’s work was raising funds to go towards organizing “Free Kareem” rallies and publicity campaigns events around the globe. We raised USD$4,368.26, to be exact — and sent $1,026.80 to several organizers to reimburse the costs of printing flyers, buying placards and other materials to aid in mounting effective public demonstrations.

Another USD$500 was sent to Kareem during his prison sentence, for the provision of food, clothing and other material items for his physical comfort. This was sent through a mutual friend of Kareem’s and ours, Shahinaz Abdel Salam.

As of today, USD$2,841.46 remains in the Coalition’s fund. As Kareem’s release date approached, we intended to deliver these remaining funds to Kareem, in hopes that he would use them as he saw fit after his prison release.

However, after due consideration, Kareem has informed us that he would prefer not to receive the funds raised on his behalf. Instead, he said we were free to do with the funds whatever we thought was appropriate.

To that end, we have elected to donate the remaining funds in their entirety to the press-freedom advocacy group, Reporters Without Borders. This organization has worked tirelessly around the globe to advocate for the rights of journalists to speak and write freely, in the fight for a free press — the very essence of democracy. Reporters Without Borders also worked tirelessly to raise awareness of Kareem’s plight, and continues the struggle for press freedoms in his homeland of Egypt.

We believe that this donation is a perfect capstone to the Coalition’s efforts to free a budding journalist who only dared to speak his mind, and was punished severely for it. We hope that the donation may help, in whatever small way, to aid bloggers and journalists like Kareem, whose identities may not even yet be known.

The donation will be made in approximately one to two weeks from today, and proof of donation will be posted to this site in a follow-up message.

The Free Kareem Coalition wishes to thank the 86 individual donors who contributed to this important cause, and the many other individuals who offered advice and encouragement. We hope we made a difference, and sincerely wish that Kareem’s best days are ahead of him.

- Chris Kilmer, Treasurer

P.S. This message is translated into Arabic and published on MEYArabic here.

Update: Feel free to download the receipts here as confirmation of the donation to Reporters Without Borders.

Kareem Amer was set free yesterday’s night, Monday 15th of November 2010, after spending 1470 days in prison.

Kareem Amer is now free, a close friend to Kareem reports.

Kareem refused to talk to anyone at the moment, however he reassures all his supporters worldwide that he’s fine. The brave man wants to have a little privacy for a week before he can say anything.

We totally respect Kareem’s wish, and that’s why we ask you, if you’re a journalist or a blogger, to respect Kareem’s wish too, until he chooses when to speak up.

Let’s celebrate Kareem’s release right now!

FreeKareem.org staff wants to take this precious chance, and thanks everyone who supported Kareem through his honourable struggle against an unfair trial and an oppressive imprisonment. Thanks for all the activists who supported, through 4 full years and 10 days, our cause for Kareem! We can’t name anyone specifically here, not only because we’re overwhelmed, but also because the number of supporters is pretty huge. Thanks for everyone who has protested, rallied, supported, donated, written, shared, or even tweeted anything about Kareem from all over the world! Thank you very much!

Every tweet counts. We’re relieved now – yes finally.

Toast to freedom!

A Free Kareem protest was held in Greece in front of the Egyptian Embassy, where the protesters were unfortunately assaulted by the embassy’s guards.

This protest would have not been possible without the organization and support of Fotis Perlikos, who also sent us these photos. Thank you Fotis and to everyone who attended this protest for your continued support of freedom of speech!

Kareem Amer has been kidnapped and beaten by State Security and his life is in real danger.

Become a Negotiator and join the Facebook Ransom Campaign immediately. Help us save his life!

Kareem Amer served four years in prison for his writing on the Internet. He was due to be released from Borg Al-Arab Prison in Alexandria on Friday 5 November. Instead, he was taken to the Alexandria headquarters of State Security Intelligence, where he is being held illegally and beaten.

Regardless of the justice of Mr. Suleiman’s original sentence, which remains very questionable, he has already served his time in prison!

We’re asking the Egyptian government and the SSI officials to immediately release Kareem, as his continued imprisonment is clearly illegal!

It is, in fact, kidnapping.

The problem is, we have yet to receive a ransom note from his kidnappers! What do they want? Is it money? What are their terms specifically?

In order to inspire the men of Egypt’s State Security Intelligence to tell us why they are keeping Kareem in defiance of the law, we are going on Facebook to respectfully request they send us the ransom note!

Please help us by becoming a Negotiator on this Facebook Ransom Campaign for Kareem. Here’s all you have to do:

1. Change your Facebook profile picture to the official How Much for the Blogger?! banner. Look below for more banners in English and Arabic, or check HMFTB album from here.

2. Update your Facebook status at least one time every day, to share the following message: “Kareem Amer has been illegally detained and beaten for X days so far, past his official release date, by the State Security Intelligence in Egypt. Please help us by spreading the word, changing your Facebook profile picture, pasting this as your status, and joining the team of Negotiators through our Facebook page!” (If you Tweet this, kindly add the hashtag #HMFTB.)

3. Repost the latest HMFTB blog post, which you’re reading now, on your personal website, blog, or Facebook; or link to it from any other social networking website. This may seem obvious, but remember always that a good negotiator does not give away personal details.

4. Contact us if you have any ideas, recommendations, or new graphic designs to feed this ransom campaign!

5. Create something! The campaign is all about creating something which can be useful for Kareem. Do you want a sneak?! For instance, you can join the official Facebook page of the National Democratic Party of Egypt – the ruling party, and post our campaign page right there.

Here is some information on Kareem’s situation and his kidnappers:

Kareem is being beaten at the state security intelligence headquarters.

Kareem officially completes his prison sentence.

Join our official Facebook page now, and follow us on Twitter to receive the latest news and updates about Kareem’s ransom deal!

Please join our campaign, How Much for the Blogger?!, and let the world know about the abuse and injustice which Kareem has been facing for 4 years! This misery must end now!

Spread the word and help us free Kareem from an unknown fate! Because freedom is worth fighting for!

Free Kareem Amer!

How Much for the Blogger?! banners which you could use on your personal website, blog, or even as a Facebook or Twitter profile picture:

Download Karem Amer’s plugin for WordPress from here, watch Kareem’s videos from here, or check out the photo gallery here.

This campaign is also available in Arabic on MEYArabic here – Feel free to share any of both languages!

How Much for the Blogger?