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!

On the 6th of November Kareem Amer was released from the Borj Al Arab prison, where he was held for years, and his official release was meant to be processed, however he was detained by the State Security Intelligence in Alexandria where he faced beatings by a junior officer as well as an order for his continued detainment.

Gamal Eid, the director of the Arab Network for Human Rights Information, said that these practices against an unarmed prisoner is creating a climate of hatred against the police forces in general and the State Security Intelligence officials in particular. Kareem already spent years of punishment and his release is now a legal obligation, therefore why is he being beaten and held illegally?

The network stresses that holding a prisoner under these conditions despite having completed the sentence given four years ago is an injustice that people will not be willing to forget. Egypt’s ministry of interior will have to one day answer for these crimes. The ministry in question, with all its soldiers and officers, are not more powerful than a person’s right.

They also confiscated his notebook, where he keeps his personal thoughts in an attempt to cope with his unjust imprisonment. They have done this for no apparent reason than to abuse a free speech advocate who remains imprisoned since November 6, 2006 merely for his blog posts.

This is not the first time it has happened. In August 2008, some of Kareem’s books and other reading materials were arbitrarily confiscated.

Kareem has completed more than 3/4 of his sentence, however he is still not being released.

Update: More photos!

Egypt Waging War on Bloggers:

And, referring to a blogger who was sentenced to a four-year jail sentence for calling President Hosni Mubarak a “symbol of dictatorship,” and Al-Azhar University a “university of terror,” prosecutor Mohammed Dawud warned, “If we let people like him off without punishment, a wildfire will blaze up that consumes everything in its path.” He added, “Exactly that is what civil rights activists dream of, many of whom pin their hopes on a grass-roots digital democratization initiated by the country’s bloggers.”

Harassment of bloggers has increased year by year since then. For example:

In 2007, blogger Kareem Amer, an Amnesty International prisoner of conscience, was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment for criticizing President Hosni Mubarak and Egypt’s al-Azhar religious authorities on his blog.

Below is a list of news coverage mentioning Kareem throughout the year 2010 thus far:

Egypt blogger military trial criticised

Virtually, Some Real Freedom

Egypt: Pledge Serious Human Rights Reform

Blogs mark the first 10 years

Egypt and Libya: A Year of Serious Abuses

It’s official: Blogging is a dangerous business

A barometer of religious intolerance

Foreign languages:

Egypte: Le blogueur “Kareem Amer” condamné à quatre ans de prison

Kolejny bloger przed egipskim sądem

Vários países estão a prender jornalistas on-line e autores de blogues

Arabiske blogs giver unge stemme

Dans le même pays

Egitto conferma la lotta ai blogger

Blogger Mesir Disidang di Mahkamah Militer

El Periódico del Pueblo Oriental

A grand ball was held at the Interconti Berlin, under the patronage of the Egyptian Ambassador to Germany, Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy. Members of the IUF managed to get into the lobby of the event location and handed out several hundred buttons to the ball guests who entered the hotel. The buttons were pinned to dresses and jackets and read in Arabic: “We are all with Kareem Amer”. In the ballroom, the Egyptian Ambassador along with embassy staff and Egyptian businessmen were able to read this friendly reminder that Kareem is not forgotten by his friends and supporters.

A petition was handed to a guest who entered the ballroom, which could only be accessed by invited guests, with the request to deliver the petition to the Ambassador.

Petition.

Here are the pictures, a video will also be added later.

The entrance to the Interconti Hotel, note the pyramidal shape of the lobby....

Approaching the entrance to the hotel

Entering the lobby

In the lobby

Successfully handing out the first buttons to the guests

Slightly hesitant in pointing out the best spot to pin on the button

The pins

Pin sample

The main ball-room

The dance

A first newspaper report after the ball

A video will be available later!

Please do not remain silent. Express your outrage. Help out!

Write to Kareem and let him know he’s not alone in this struggle for free speech and justice.

Please check back in a few days where we will notify you on planned rallies and events.

Kareem must be freed.

Here are some pictures.

We would like to thank longtime Free Kareem supporter Maryvonne for her assistance, her efforts, courage, and constant willingness to help out. We know that our friend Kareem is extremely appreciative of these efforts which will never go forgotten. Thank you Maryvonne!

Egyptian Cultural & Educational Bureau

1303 New Hampshire Avenue NW

Washington DC 20036

Map:

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Please join us to show your solidarity for individual liberty and free speech. If you would like to network with people attending the rally please view the following websites:

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Social Bureaucrash

Thank you.

Lee Doren
Bureaucrash

We are extremely upset by this discouraging news, as his trials are consistently delayed, causing him to remain in prison for much more than he should be, even though he already completed 3/4th of his sentence.

Please tweet this news by using the #FreeKareem tag. Express your outrage at this gross human rights violation. Kareem must be freed!