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Our Reports
The Internet In the Arab World
A New Space of Repression?
No Rules, No Limits
United Arab Emirates:
Freedom of expression is missing despite a decision banning imprisonment for press crimes
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Kareem Amer spends his 25th birthday in prison;
ANHRI confirms Kareem is a prisoner of conscience and asks the court to release him
Cairo in June 17,2009
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) strongly condemns the continuing arbitrary imprisonment of Kareem Amer based on accusations of using his human and legal right, freedom of expression. On his Birthday and in the occasion on the upcoming cassation session, ANHRI stresses that Kareem is a prisoner of conscience who had not enjoyed his right to fair trail.
Hence, the Network asks for his release and hopes that the court would decide to release him. Moreover ANHRI condemns Kareem's continuing imprisonment, his being exposed to harsh violations and assaults.
Kareem, born in 17\6\1984, turns twenty five in his cell because of his words he wrote on his blog, and considered by officials to be defaming the president and an insult to Islam and to Egypt. On the other hand, The Arabic Network considers the imprisonment of Kareem to be the deepest insult to Egypt and the Egyptians. It is actually a self committed assault of the Egyptian regime. This prominent violation against a citizens rights to express their opinion reveals a regime that persists on muzzling mouths and opening the doors of prisons to end up the citizens rights to express their opinion.
Kareem's tragedy started on 5\10\2006, when he was arrested because of his posts on the blog. He was then investigated by Al-Azhar University because of his writings, where Kareem insisted on his right to express his opinion. This resulted in expelling him from the university and moreover the university sent a communiqué to the Egyptian Prosecutor-General accusing Kareem of secular conceptions and insulting Islam.
Again, he was detained until he was presented to court on 22\2\2007. On that gloomy day, he was sentenced to 4 years in prison after an unfair trial.
Kareem, now in Borg El Arab prison in Alexandria, reports to his lawyers in the Arabic Network that he is steadily being exposed to violation of his rights from prison officers sealed with the classics, "until you go back on what's in your head".
Eventually, after going through endless formal procedures, the Legal Aid Unit of The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) managed to determine a cassation date for the case of Kareem Amer. The cassation hearing will be held on August 17, 2009.
Local and global responses are escalating; thousands of supporters are demanding freedom for Kareem. ANHRI has received more than 500 birthday cards for Kareem from human rights activists and international human rights organizations demanding Kareem's release. Some Bloggers and activists from all over the world declared their support to Kareem and asked the Egyptian authorities for his immediate release and respecting his right to expression.
In March 2009, UN human rights experts issued a decision stating that Kareem's imprisonment is arbitrary.
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