Campaign Unavailable

UPDATE: There have been two recent developments affecting freedom of expression in Egypt:

• On September 27, the Egyptian Foreign Minister addressed the U.N. with comments that further called into question Egypt’s commitment to freedom of expression;
• On September 28, a court upheld the verdict against Ibrahim Eissa, editor of Al-Dostour, sentencing him to two months in prison.

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.