IUF Berlin, who also organized two previous rallies in Germany (rally 2; rally 1 pictures, rally 1 video), assisted us once again with an “undercover” campaign for Kareem.

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!

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) have issued the following press release on Kareem:

Reporters Without Borders deplores the way the authorities continue to persecute Abdel Kareem Nabil Suleiman, a jailed blogger better known by the pen-name of Kareem Amer. For the third time in a row, one of his lawyers has been denied the right to visit him in Borg Al Arab prison although he had the required permits from the Alexandria attorney-general’s office.

The lawyer, Ahmed Omar, one of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information’s lawyer (ANHRI), was told on arrival at the prison on 10 January that the security services had imposed a permanent ban on visits for the blogger. The ANHRI filed a complaint with the Cairo prosecutor’s office in May 2009 after the first refusal, but no investigation was carried out.

Reporters Without Borders is very worried about the conditions in which Kareem Amer is being held and his physical and psychological health. Imprisoned since November 2006, he has had no contact with the outside world for the past eight months. Reporters Without Borders intends to request permission to visit him as soon as possible.

On 22 December, a court rejected a request for a retrial for Kareem Amer. Although all further possibilities of appeal have been exhausted, a petition for his release has been filed with an administrative court.

This is not the first time Kareem is forbidden visits by either his lawyers, journalists or his own friends.

Meklit Hadero, an Ethiopian-born musician and 2009 TEDGlobal Fellow, sings a very moving song in support of Kareem:

Thank you so much Meklit! If you’re on Twitter, please take a moment to send a personal shout out to Meklit @meklithadero for joining the struggle to free Kareem Amer.

Kareem’s final appeal today was rejected, and Kareem will be forced to remain in prison until November 2010. That is another 1 full year for Kareem in prison where he risks further torture.

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.

Egyptian blogger and Kareem’s friend Wa7damasrya received a letter from Kareem noting that he feels lonely as he hasn’t received a letter from anyone in a while. He feels very sad because a lot of prisoners were set free after serving 3/4 of their sentence, except for him. All the other prisoners who were released after 3/4 of their sentence were originally there for criminal behavior that includes theft, violence, and drug trafficking. Kareem wonders how this regime pardoned people who committed actual crimes and did not pardon him despite the fact that his only “crime” was expressing his opinions online.

He is waiting for the decision on the 22nd of December, and he still has hope that he may get released after this upcoming and final appeal. He wishes to be free and that people don’t forget him in these days.

Kareem’s lawyer tried to visit him, but was actually rejected from meeting Kareem twice this year even though she had a written permission to do so.

He adds that his case was presented to a State Security committee with other prisoners who completed 3/4 of their sentence, and that the state security officials who refused to release him are the same ones who are rejecting visitiors to Kareem. This is a punishment of its own merely because of Kareem’s views and published articles, rejected by the regime and extremists alike.

Please, we ask you all to write to Kareem and let him know that he’s far from alone in this struggle. Please let him know that you’ll be there for him and ready to fight back if his final appeal tomorrow is rejected.

Kareem has been in prison for 1120 days. One can only imagine what 1120 days in an Egyptian prison cell, being humiliated on a daily basis and occasionally tortured, can do to a person.

If you were in such a position, would you want someone to support you through it? Would a supportive letter from a complete stranger help? Knowing that someone, somewhere, cares about your struggle for free speech, and admires your courage, enough to take the time to express that in a letter? Even if it’s just a postcard, it would mean a lot to you.

Please, take a few moments to write a supportive letter to Kareem. Let him know you’re there and that he’s not alone. Send this to 10 more people and have them send one too.

You may also write to these Egyptian Officials and Diplomats to express your outrage at the fact that Kareem is still imprisoned for his blog posts.

A rally took place for Kareem today in Washington, DC, as reported earlier here. Below is a video:

We’d like to thank our friends at Bureaucrash for making this rally possible, and for their consistent support for Kareem! Washington, DC has always been a strategic location to hold a Free Kareem rally as the U.S government continues to fund Mubarak’s dictatorship despite being aware of the massive human rights violations that take place under his rule. Indeed, we all must correct this injustice!

A small group of supporters met in front of the Egyptian Embassy, Elfenauweg 61, in Bern, Switzerland, on November 6, 2009 to protest against the imprisonment of Kareem Amer, calling for his release after his third year in prison. Nobody from the Embassy dared to go out and speak with the participants. Only a curtain moved inside the building. The Swiss police on duty was handed an envelope containing a message for the embassador asking for Kareem’s release.

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!

As we reported earlier, the decision of September’s appeal was meant to be announced today. However, it has been postponed until the 22nd of December. In the meantime, Kareem will remain imprisoned despite his innocence.

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!

The following is a translation of an article that appeared today in the Egyptian Daily Almasry Alyoum:

ANHRI Requests Kareem’s Immediate Release from President Mubarak for Having Spent 3/4 of His Sentence

Wael Ali wrote on 16 October 2009

Yesterday, the Arab Network for Human Rights Information raised a plea to President Mubarak to issue instructions to the Minister of Interior to release blogger Kareem Amer, especially since the Ministry of Interior released officer Islam Nabih who was found guilty on charges of torture. The officer was not only released before completing three quarters of his time but was also allowed to report back to his work at the said Ministry.

In a statement issued yesterday, the Network assured that the Ministry of Interior revealed its intentions of depriving Kareem Amer – who has been in the prison of Burj Al-Arab for the past three years- of his right to be released after having served three quarters of his time, which is a legal right for all prisoners.

The statement reported that some officers at the Egyptian Prison Administration, which is part of the Ministry of Interior, informed the attorney of the Network’s Legal Support Unit for Freedom of Expression that the plea to release Kareem Amer, which was filed by the Network will not be accepted by the state’s Security Apparatus, and that the release decision should be issued from a higher authority – meaning the President of the Republic – in order to be accepted.

The statement also pointed out that Kareem Amer is entitled to his right to be released on the 5th of next November, when he completes his three-year sentence in prison, as part of the penalty of his imprisonment for a period of four years following investigations and court hearings pertaining to issues that Kareem published on his blog and on the civilized dialogue website [الحوار المتمدن].

The statement also pointed out that despite the fact that the Egyptian court of cessation will issue its decision regarding the plea – filed by Kareem Amer’s attorneys at the Arab Network for Human Rights Information on the 20th of last October, which all attorneys working in the field of defending freedom of expression in Egypt and around the world anticipate that this decision will clear things in the correct manner and order another hearing for Kareem – Amer’s right to be released after completing three quarters of his sentence shall prevail despite the court’s decision.

It also pointed out that at the time when the Arab Network received more than 600 letters and postcards from citizens in Egypt and around the world in support of Kareem, the state security apparatus in Egypt continues to harass Kareem in prison and deprive him of visits since last March, where Kareem suffered for a state of “prison within a prison.” [Many letters were sent via our letter campaign and the "Flood the Jail with Mail" initiative.]