Free Jailed Blogger, Human Rights Groups Urge Egypt

Human rights groups today called for the immediate release of Karim Amer, the first Egyptian blogger to be put on trial after he criticised the president, Hosni Mubarak, and Islam.

The former student at al-Azhar university, in Cairo, faces up to 10 years in prison for his writings in a trial that resumed today before being adjourned for three weeks.

Charges against the 22-year-old include "spreading information disruptive of public order and damaging to the country's reputation", "incitement to hate Islam" and "defaming the president of the republic".

He pleaded innocent to the charges. "I don't see what I have done," he said from the defendant's cage after the charges were read. "I expressed my opinion ... the intention was not anything like these [charges]."

"Karim Amer's trial appears intended as a warning by the authorities to other bloggers who dare criticise the government or use their blogs to spread information considered harmful to Egypt's reputation," said Malcolm Smart, director of Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa programme.

"This is particularly worrying as bloggers have increasingly been posting information about human rights abuses in Egypt including torture and police violence against peaceful protesters."

Plainclothes security agents first arrested the blogger in October 2005 at his home in Muharram Bek in Alexandria after riots in the district. He was held for 12 days without charge.

He had posted comments on his blog criticising the rioters and Islam. The unrest followed reports that a video of a supposedly anti-Islamic play was being screened in a Coptic church in the area.

In March 2006, a disciplinary board at al-Azhar found him guilty of blaspheming Islam and expelled him. In November, the public prosecutor ordered his detention for four days, which was later extended for a further 15 days to allow further time for investigation.

He has remained in detention since then after a series of extensions. While in prison, he was kept in solitary confinement and was only last week allowed visits by relatives.

Human rights groups have criticised Mr Mubarak for failing to deliver on a promise made over two years ago to introduce a law to protect journalists, even those who criticised public officials.

Last year, Mr Mubarak blocked a move to make reporting on the financial dealings of public figures punishable by up to three years in prison.

However, the US group Human Rights Watch deplored the fact that provisions criminalising insults to the president and foreign heads of state remained on the books. Amnesty and Human Rights Watch have called on Egypt to repeal legislation stipulating prison sentences for the exercise of the rights of freedom of expression. Human Rights Watch has also called for the unconditional release of Karim Amer.

"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."

Last year, a court sentenced Ibrahim Issa, the editor of the popular opposition weekly al-Dustur, and Sahar Zaki, a journalist for the paper, to one year in prison for "insulting the president" and "spreading false or tendentious rumours" in connection with an article reporting legal action against Mr Mubarak and senior officials in the ruling National Democratic party.

"The Egyptian penal code is a minefield for journalists," Mr Issa told Human Rights Watch. "If these provisions were evenly enforced, most of the journalists in the country would be in jail."