There’s a worldwide media attention, which we would like to double its effect by sending letters to whoever may concern during this crucial time, as Kareem needs our efforts more than any time else. Every bit of effort counts.

Our four-year struggle to release Kareem mounts this week, so we want to make sure that we knock every possible door. Hence, we’re calling for all the activists and bloggers out there to send 3 letters; one to the Egyptian government officials, the other to the Egyptian ambassador or consul in your country, and the third to the your local minister of foreign affairs.

Contacts of Egyptian officials and diplomats can be found here. Alternatively you can write to your local Egyptian Embassy which you’ll find their contact info here

Kareem’s life is in real danger, and the situation is horribly serious. So any kind of help counts to raise public and international media awareness.

A friend from Sweden has sent 2 letters, one to the Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the other to the Egyptian Embassy in Sweden. Here is what Niklas Smith has sent to the Egyptian ambassador in the Kingdom of Sweden, as a great and a comprehensive example of what we’re calling you to do as soon as possible:

Her Excellency Samah Mohamed Sotohy Sarhan
The Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt

Egyptens ambassad
Box 14230
10440 Stockholm

cc. Carl Bildt, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Sweden

11 November 2010

Your Excellency,

Your fellow citizen Mr Abdul Kareem Nabil Suleiman was convicted and sentenced to four years imprisonment as a result of his writings on the Internet. His sentence has ended and he was due to be released from Borg Al-Arab Prison in Alexandria on Friday 5 November. However, I have heard through several media reports that he has not been released. Instead he has been taken to the Alexandria headquarters of State Security Intelligence. His lawyer told Al Jazeera that Mr Suleiman has still not been released and was beaten by a junior SSI officer on Tuesday night.

Regardless of the justice of Mr Suleiman’s original sentence, he has served his time in prison. I would like to ask for him to be released immediately, as his continued imprisonment is clearly illegal. Please contact the Minister of the Interior or the responsible official to ask for Mr Suleiman’s immediate release. And please also ask that his alleged mistreatment in SSI
headquarters be independently investigated.

I look forward to hearing that Mr Suleiman has been released and can start to rebuild his life
after spending almost one sixth of it behind bars.

Yours sincerely,
Niklas Smith

Follow us on Twitter, join our Facebook group on Facebook, or check out our YouTube Gallery here; to make sure that you catch up with latest updates about Kareem.

There is an ongoing letter campaign that we urge you to participate in order to share your outrage with Egyptian officials worldwide. Contacts of officials and diplomats can be found here, alternatively you can write to your local Egyptian Embassy (info here.)

More news on Kareem and further action that you can take will soon follow.

Click for full PDF.

And a letter to Kareem:

Click for full PDF.

Do know that Kareem is extremely appreciative of these efforts, thanks so much for taking the time to do this, and for those of you who haven’t had the chance yet, it’s never too late. Please send a letter and encourage your friends to do the same.

We are shocked and disturbed by the fact that Kareem is still in prison, and will never give up fighting for his freedom and human rights. Thank you for your support!

Flood the Jail with Mail

A few months ago the campaign was a success, with many letters being sent to Kareem on a daily basis for an entire month, but this is needed now more than ever! Kareem has expressed his support for this initiative. He needs the worldwide support and recognition for his own safety. Please consider taking part in this campaign, which you can read about here.

Here is Kareem’s address in prison:

Prisoner Abdul Kareem Nabil Suleiman
Borg Al-Arab Prison
Section 10, Room 22
Alexandria
The Arab Republic of Egypt

You must include the Arabic text in the letter as well:

Sending him messages and postcards by snail-mail is very important, not only because it will assuage his pains, but to also tell the government and prison that we are still watching.

This is not a requirement – but we suggest that you laminate your letters/cards for them not to be ripped up.

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.

This week an Egyptian delegation headed by Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit arrived in New York City to participate in the United Nations General Assembly. Even as these officials speak on behalf of their country, the Egyptian government continues its assault on free expression.

At this moment, three bloggers in detention are:

Mosaad Suleiman Hassan (better known by his pen name Mosaad Abu Fajr), novelist and activist from the northern Sinai, detained since December 26, 2007;

Mohamed Refaat, a 22-year-old student at Cairo University, arrested on July 21, 2008, whose detention continues under Emergency Laws. He faces accusations that include incitement of a strike;

Abdul Kareem Nabil Suleiman (a.k.a. “Kareem Amer”), a 23-year-old former student at Al-Azhar University currently serving a four-year sentence for views he expressed on his blog.

This year Egyptian authorities have arrested, detained, and prosecuted at least 20 bloggers, journalists, and activists. Using broadly-worded laws that criminalize insulting the president or religion, or harming Egypt’s reputation, and relying on Emergency Laws to justify prolonged detention, the government has clamped down on one of the most basic rights-the right to free expression.

Please call on the Egyptian authorities to release the bloggers currently detained and stop using vague, overly-broad laws to repress free speech.

The message to release these innocent detained individuals will be directed to:

Take action here.

Kareem has been arrested since November 6th, 2006. He is about to spend his 600th day in prison! We are planning an event for this day and hope that you will all be involved.

Here are the details.

Date: Saturday, the 28th of June
Occasion: Day 600 for Kareem in prison!
Theme: Increase awareness for Kareem in prison, and get in touch with him!

How you can get involved:

On the 28th, dedicate a post on your blog/website to Kareem.

You can do this in two ways:

Option 1: Write a post/letter directly to or about Kareem. Make people aware of what Kareem is going through. Express your opinions or concerns over the fact that he is still in prison just for sharing his personal views on radical Islam, extremism within Al Azhar, and the president of Egypt.

Option 2: Write about something controversial, fearlessly, the same way as Kareem did (whether be it about free speech, human rights, religious freedom, political rights, et al) and then dedicate this post to him.

You may also choose to directly write to Kareem using the following address:

Prisoner Abdul Kareem Nabil Suleiman
Alexandria
Borg Al-Arab Prison
Room 1 Section 22
The Arab Republic of Egypt

Please attach the Arabic address on your letter:

People have sent Kareem letters, postcards, pictures, books, etc. We are hoping that he will write back confirming to us that he received all these letters, or at least most of them. But even if the campaign is over now you can continue writing to Kareem. He is always happy to receive letters from his friends and supporters.

We also have in mind to create another campaign of this sort during the end of the summer in August, and in between, we’d have other kinds of campaigns to keep people aware of Kareem. If anyone wants to help out, they should contact editor@freekareem.org and we’d be happy to accept any suggestions or help.

You can now listen to the short 4 minute talk here. [MP3]