Throughout the gloominess of the prison walls, there was also a lustrous ray of hope of those who were by my side; expressing solidarity with me and supporting me during my ordeal. Whether they shared the same views with me or not, they all believed in the cause: Freedom of speech for all, regardless differences and orientations. I really can’t thank them enough!

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart! I wish for you the best in your lives and careers. I owe you all a big debt of gratitude, which I’ll keep eternally, and never forget the noble and genuine support I’ve received.

I’d like to deeply thank some of the unknown soldiers, who gave all they had to support me through the hard times. This is less than what they truly deserve, and even the least thing I can do for them in return.

Those unknown soldiers are, in no specific order and please forgive me if I forgot anyone because I’m overwhelmed at the moment, Shahinaz Abdel Salam, the brave activist and blogger who visited me many times in the prison but was blocked afterwards like many others, Dalia Ziada, my dear friend who has done her best supporting me although her letters were blocked also, Esra’a Al Shafei, the Bahraini activist and blogger, and the director and founder of FreeKareem.org, and especially to all the editors of FreeKareem.org.

Those, and many others, have endured extraordinary efforts for me, and they’ve succeeded in spreading my voice worldwide.

To all of them; I’m grateful, and I’ll never forget your favour for the rest of my life.

Kareem Amer

27^th of November 2010

Cairo

Update: Below is a message from Shahinaz Abdel Salam, without whose support, the Free Kareem Campaign would not have been what it is today.

To all supporters,

Your letters to Kareem were giving him hope, and making him feel that he was far from alone in the desert prison of Borg Al Arab. Your constant support and demonstrations in front of Egyptian Embassies worldwide protected Kareem, and made those thugs of the Mubarak regime realize that the world stood by him, and that he was never alone. In my letters to Kareem, and during all of my visits, I have always mentioned to him your support and all the efforts that you made for this important cause.

Thank you all!

Shahinaz Abdel Salam
Activist & Blogger

P.S. The original Arabic letter of Kareem Amer can be found here.

* Photographed by Marwa Rakha.

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 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!

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!

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?

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.

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.

Below is a picture of Kareem’s supporters expressing their solidarity. Please take a picture of your own and send it to us.

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.