To: Ichy Smith who wrote (4381 ) 2/1/2007 5:49:13 PM From: Proud_Infidel Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 20106 Prison for criticizing islam...... Egypt: Drop Charges Against Blogger Reuters ^ | 27 Jan 2007 alertnet.org Egyptian authorities should immediately drop all charges filed against a blogger for his online writings and release him without delay, Human Rights Watch said today. The trial began on January 25 of 'Abd al-Karim Nabil Suleiman, better known by his pen name Karim Amer, the first Egyptian blogger to be tried for the contents of his blog. He faces up to nine years in prison. Suleiman, a 22-year-old former student of Islamic jurisprudence at Al-Azhar University, appeared before a public prosecutor on November 7, 2006, following a complaint from the university, to answer charges of "spreading information disruptive of public order," "incitement to hate Muslims," and "insulting the president." He had frequently posted articles criticizing Islam, the authorities at Al-Azhar, and President Hosni Mubarak on his blog. Prosecutors ordered him detained pending investigation and renewed his detention four times before his trial opened at Muharram Bek Court in Alexandria on Thursday. The judge is expected to rule on the case on February 1. "Charging someone for the peaceful expression of their views is sadly not new in Egypt," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "By curbing a blogger's freedom to post, the government may be trying to close an important space for Egyptians to speak openly about events and issues that worry them." Plainclothes security agents first arrested Suleiman on October 26, 2005 at his home in Muharram Bek, a district of Alexandria that days earlier had been the site of deadly sectarian riots, and held him for 12 days without charge. Four days earlier, he had posted comments on his blog criticizing the Muslim rioters and Islam. In March 2006, a disciplinary board at Al-Azhar found him guilty of blaspheming Islam and ordered him expelled from the university. (Excerpt) Read more at alertnet.org ...