Global Voices Advocacy » Noha Atef

Egypt: A Facebook User in A Military Court

Noha Atef — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 07:52:07 +0000

Screenshot of the facebook page.

Many of Egyptian Facebook users are both surprised and outraged by the military trial of one of them; Ahmad Hassan Bassiouny, is one of the 2.4 million Egyptians on Facebook, and because he created a group on this social network, he is charged with disclosing military secrets on the internet, thus is under military trial.

The group Bassiouny created is named the Administration Of Military Recruitment And Mobilization, after the military authority responsible for receiving the new soldiers and orienting them. Good to note that the military service in Egypt is mandatory for men, they may be exempted or defer it in certain conditions and according to specific terms, but in all cases, every Egyptian male has to handle his status of military service through this administration.

The group includes information about prerequisites for military service, documents needed for recruitment, submission dates, deadlines and other formalities, all this information is available on the press and some of them are already online. Bassiouny was just making it easier to his peers to have everything in one page. The group has now approximately 1800 members. And he clearly stated that his group is ‘unofficial and voluntary’.

After being charged, some of the group members shared the story on Facebook, which was received by denouncing comments. The same reaction came from Human Rights organizations in Egypt, especially that Bassiouny was described as a role model for Egyptian youth by the state owned radio, for creating such group.

The Arabic Network for Human Rigths (ANHRI), Hisham Mubarak Law Center and Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression formed a defense front for Bassiouny, they all expressed their condemnation, stating that:

It is a big mistake to court-martial a young man for loving his country. We cannot find the slightest offense committed by this young man. His deed is out of good will and if he had gone wrong in his initiative, military trials are certainly not the way to react to a group on Facebook

The defense front’s statement also points that is not the first time to have an Egyptian sent to a military court because of his online writings, stressing the impact of standing in solidarity in such cases:

Ahmed Hassan Bassiouny is not the first internet activist to face military trial this year. In March 2010, Ahmed Mostafa was court-martialed because of his writings on the internet. Shortly after and as a result of pressure from human rights organizations, the government stopped the hearings to save the young man’s career.

On Twitter, the same exclamation mark was drawn, especially that on the same week Bassiouny was prosecuted, Michael Nabil, who is a contributor to a Facebook group against the mandatory military services, was exempted. What made Gue3bara wondering:

How does the army work? On the same week nabil is exempted and Baddiouny is prosecuted?

Egypt: Blogger Released After More Than two Years in Detention

Noha Atef — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:29:14 +0000

Mos'ad Abu Fagr daughter

After about three years of detention, the Egyptian blogger Mus'ad Abu Fagr was finally released on Tuesday, June 13th, 2010. Though more than eight release orders were issued to him since his arrest on 26 December 2007, the Ministry of Interior used to renew each time his detention. The decision to set Abu Fagr free came as part of an effort to reduce growing tensions between Egyptian Security Services and Sinai Bedouins. Abu Fagr himself was among 68 other Bedouins released from jail.  

The Sinai activist and novelist Fagr is blogging at Wedna Ne3eesh (We Want to Live) where he writes about the demands of Sinai Bedouins, expressing their life and seeking equal rights of citizenship.

The released blogger wasn't yet back to his blogging activities. Al-Masry Al-Youm Newspaper managed to talk to him on the phone, where he expressed happiness over his freedom,saying that his own brother still in prison. The Hisham Mubarak Center for Law (HMCL) quoted Abu Fagr on his release, saying:

سجين الرأي”مسعد أبو فجر”اليوم بعد الإفراج عنه” سنحتفل جميعاً فى اليوم الذى يخرج فيه جميع المعتقلين، وأننى أشكر جميع من تضامن معي ومع قضيتي وأطالبهم بتقديم الدعم لقضية المعتقلين

Prisoner of conscience Abu Fagr said after his release: we will all celebrate the day when all detainees are released, I thank everyone who supported me and my cause, and I ask you to stay in solidarity with the others, who still in jail

The current release of Abu Fagr could not be a sign of more bloggers to be free, as it came in the context of his activism as a Bedouin!

Egypt: a blogger sent to a military court for a post he published a year ago

Noha Atef — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 13:06:39 +0000

For the first time in Egypt, a blogger is to be sent to a military court because of his writing online. Ahmad Mostafa (student) wrote on his blog Maza Asabak ya Watan (What Weent Wrong With You oh My country?!) about a student from the War School, who was expelled and his dad asked to sign a statement saying: “my son was not able to adapt to the military life“.

According to Mostafa's blog post, which only quoted members of the expelled student's family, a rich man who wanted to have his son join the school but couldn't find a place for him, maneuvered for this place and then succeeded to replace his son with the expelled Mostafa.

The young blogger wrote about the incident a year ago on under the title: ‘The School War's Scandel“. But a month ago he received an alert from the security regarding that post, right before a visit paid by the president Hosni Mubarak's to Kafr El-Sheikh governorate, where Mostafa lives and studies. On 25th February he was arrested, while was in his way to the university.

The Association of Freedom of Thinking and Expression condemned the arrest and listed the accusation of Mostafa, which brought him to a military court:

He was transferred to the military attorney who decided to keep him in custody for 4 days in order to resume the investigation, and to send him to the military court in Cairo on February 28th, 2010, as he is accused of:

defaming the Egyptian armed forces.

shaking the trust of people on the armed forces.

publishing false news.

The Egyptian blogosphere was abuzz by the news, especially that the young blogger didn't write a word about “the Egyptian armed forces“, Zeinobia blogged:

I respect the army very much and I think that this incident is very dangerous especially that from I understand from Mohamed Adel's post about the matter the military intelligence is involved in the matter. From a legal point of view Mustafa should not be prosecuted in front of a military court. From a logic point of view he should not be prosecuted at all because he did not breach any military secrets

Reading again his blog post, the Egyptian blogger Cocy found a comment, published on January 26th by a reader called ‘Tamer', threatening Mostafa for the aforementioned post.

Twitter was the news exchange tool for the arrested blogger, Mohamed Adel tweeted the news, and has been updating the tweeps on him.

Egypt: Appeal Court cancels The Sentence against blogger Wael Abbas

Noha Atef — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:32:20 +0000

Egyptian appeal court has acquitted blogger Wael Abbas after being sentenced to six months by a lower court. The sentence came last November after an altercation on April 2009 between Abbas and his neighbor and Ahmed Maher Aglan and his police officer brother Ashraf Aglan, for accessing the internet. The two brothers raided Abbas's houses, assaulted him verbally and physically ten sued him for damaging an internet cable.

Arabic Network for Human Rights (ANHRI) offered the legal support to Egyptian blogger. A day before the court, ANHRI described the lawsuit as a ‘fabricated case’ and call for solidarity with Wael:

It is known that Wael Abbas has become a target for interior ministry and its officers for more than two years because of his persistent endeavors to broadcast the so called “torture clips”. Officers have repeatedly orchestrated Abbas without being deterred by prosecution

In its statement released on 18 February, 2010, Reporters without Borders hailed the court order as ‘a victory':

This is a victory for netizens who express their views freely online and a setback for the government and its strategy of harassment and intimidating its critics…We now call for justice to be rendered to the blogger Kareem Amer, who has already served two thirds of his jail sentence and who should be freed unconditionally.

The trail session hold in Hadayq El Kobba in Cairo was attended by a number of bloggers and activists, who wore T-Shirts with Abbas's photo, to show solidarity with him. The session was also Tweeted by some bloggers.

Egyptian bloggers and activists at the court wearing T-Shirts with Abbas's photo.

The two photos accompanying this post are by blogger Shahinaz Abdel Salam

Interview with blogger Wael Abbas and call for support!

Noha Atef — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:03:31 +0000

On November 11th, 2009, prominent Egyptian blogger Wael Abbas has been sentenced in absentia to 6 months in jail and LE 500 pounds (92 USD) as a judiciary bail, as a lawsuit was filed against him by a citizen and his police officer brother on charges of damaging an internet cable. In his statement following the case, Wael Abbas, clarified that the man who sued him was responsible of another violation against him.

In this interview with Wael Abbas, we will learn more about the case and what activists can do to support him:

Noha:Are you already in jail, or expected to be taken to a prison?

Wael: No, I'm not in jail at the moment, but this might happen after the session of 18th of february.

Noha:Do you know where you will serve the sentence, which prison?!

Wael: No I don't which prison are they going to take me. I'm not sure about that.

Noha: Did you appeal the sentence?

Wael: Yes I did peal the sentence.

Noha:Do you think this sentence have something to do with your blogging activities?

Wael: Well, in the beginning I didn't think that it had anything to do with my blogging. But since my first case was held, a case in which I accused the officer of attacking me at home and breaking my tooth, since it was held and I was sentenced in absentia, I'm sure that there is something fishy behind it.

Noha:How people can show solidarity with you?

Wael: I don't know, it's up to the people. but spreading he word and exposing that this is unjust or this might be motivated by security, government retaliation or something, ..this might help. Because it's totally unjust. I'm accused of something that I didn't do and I'm getting the maximum punishment which is usually given to somebody who tore down a factory or destroyed a farm or tore down a house. And I'm accused of cutting cable, so you go figure! Tank you.

Blogger and activist Alaa Abdel Fattah has called for the support of his fellow blogger Wael:

As usual with these cases much of what needs to be done is in courts, what you can do at the moment is the usual:

Contact your embassies in Cairo, pressure them to officially inquire and show concern. Make it clear that you believe strongly this is a political case and not a criminal one.

Contact the egyptian embassy in your country and ask yourself about wael. again make it clear you are not buying the official story.

Contact local and international media and journalists, ask them to cover the story. wael is well known and has been interviewed many times but this particular threat is being ignored. explain to them that wael is not the only blogger or activist facing covert prosecution through trumped up criminal charges.

Contact NGOs and even governmental agencies concerned with human rights, freedom of expression, press freedom, digital liberties, protecting human rights defenders. make sure they know about the case and understand the threats.

You should also try and learn more about the situation in egypt, wael is being punished for exposing the truth, by knowing and spreading this
truth you make sure he doesn't take these risks for nothing.

Egypt: blogger Wael Abbas sentenced to jail. Another still in prison despite judicial release order

Noha Atef — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 12:41:56 +0000

The prominent Egypt blogger Wael Abbas has been sentenced 6 months in jail and LE 500 pounds (92 USD) as a judiciary bail, as a lawsuit was filed against him by a citizen and his police officer brother on charges of damaging an internet cable! Wael was ruled in absentia last November.

Wael Abbas, clarifies in a statement that the man who filled this lawsuit, was the same doer of another violation against the blogger:

Officer Aglan, of Cairo tourist police force, and his brother Ahmed Aglan raided Wael Abbas house and beat him up leading to several injuries on his body and a broken tooth. The officer abused his connections such that his brother would report Wael for damaging the brother’s internet cable
The public prosecutor has filed the complaint submitted by Wael Abbas in April 2009 after he had been physically assaulted by a police officer and his brother. The complaint was concluded allegedly for insufficient evidence despite the presence of three medical reports including a forensic record of injuries and despite that one of Wael’s teeth got broken.

Ta3beer (Expression) Blog reveals more informations about other harassments Wael Abbas has faced:

Until some months ago, Abbas had generally been left to operate with limited interference or intimidation from authorities. However, he has been subjected to steadily increasing curtailment as he faced annoyances every time he entered or left Egypt

As Abbas was receiving this bad news; Amnesty international called for the immediate and unconditional release of blogger Hani Nazeer, a prisoner of conscience. Nazeer, a Coptic Christian and blogger from Qina (Upper Egypt) has been detained since October 2008, This was after residents of Qina denounced him for posting on his blog the cover of a book they deemed insulting to Muslims.
AI called on the Ministry of Interior to release Nazir, and condemned his administrative detention:

Amnesty International urges the Interior Minister to respect the court decision to release Hani Nazeer and to immediately order the release from administrative detention of all those who are detained under the Emergency Law for whom release orders have been issued by the court. The Minister should also stop misusing emergency powers to curb the right to freedom of expression

It is expected that Hani Nazeer will remain in Borg al-Arab Prison until a new administrative detention order is issued against him, as has been the case since his arrest in late 2008.

Egypt: In Cairo International Airport …Be Careful if You Are A Blogger!

Noha Atef — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 04:57:01 +0000

Meanwhile leading NGOs and studies centers all over the world becoming more interested in listening to the Arab bloggers and their digital activism, the Egyptian bloggers have bad luck in their country's airport! As a number of bloggers had problem in Cairo International airport, because of their views written online, such as Wael Abbas who has been harassed when leaving or backing to Egypt by being kept in the police office at the airport, then confiscating his laptop, later on the confiscation was to include all digital devices he carries.

Abbas who was invited to the 2nd Arab Bloggers Meeting in Beirut was harassed again in his way back ‘the police stopped me and checked my passport again!” but some time of delay was not a big problem for such blogger who used to loose his portable devices in the airport! Since last July 2009, when was hold in the airport, Abbas cannot travel with a laptop, flash memory or CDs.

But Al Wa'i Al-Masri (The Egyptian Awareness) writer was not the first blogger, as in 2007 the State Security police detained Abdul Moneim Mahmoud off a plane in Cairo airport, from where he is to begin a new journey of interrogations and detentions and probably torture, which he had suffered before by the hands of the Egyptian Ministry of Interior. In the same year, the young blogger was detained while traveling to Sudan. He was held for 47 days before being released. Nevertheless, Mahmoud who writes in Ana Ikhwan (I'm a Muslim Brothers Member) blog was again stopped at Cairo Airport on 2008 and prevented from traveling from to a conference on press freedom in Morocco.

Meanwhile Mahmoud was once taken back from waiting lounge before minutes of boarding to State Security headquarters in Cairo Airport, Per Bjorklund was less lucky! As a police officer told the Swedish journalist and blogger “‘Your name is on the computer!” So, He was kept in the airport before being deported to his home country. Per Bjorklund who used to blog about labor strikes in Egypt was told that he is a persona non grata in Egypt.

A word ‘Blogger’ is becoming more worrying to the Egyptian authorities after the wide success of many of the blogoshpere, in revealing crimes and discussing some social causes and rights, were not tackled in the state-run media.

Two Egyptian Bloggers to Stay in Jail

Noha Atef — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:11:06 +0000

Two separate orders were issued last week to prolong the detention of two Egyptian bloggers. The first is yet another arrest order for Mus'ad Abu Fagr, who has been arrested since December 2008. Abu Fagr had a number of court decisions allowing his release, but unfortunately each one of them was followed by a new arrest order! The blogger is also transferred from Al- Arish police station, in his neighborhood, to Borg El-Arab prison in Alexandria, which make it difficult for his family to visit him.

The second blogger to stay behind bars is Kareem Amer, whose lawyers received a refusal on their request to have the young blooger free, as he passed half of the period of his imprisonment sentence.

Amer was to pass 4 years in jail in 2007; he has been behaving properly during the past two years, which should give him the advantage of being released as stated in the Egyptian Penal Code.
Few days ago, Lawyer for the Arabic Network for Human Rights (ANHRI) submitted an appeal over the court refusal, to a higher court.

Good to point that both of Abu Fagr and Amer are now kept in the same prison in Alexandria, where numerous crimes of humiliation and ill-treatment took place.

Egypt: Blogger warned by state security if he goes on writing on the internet

Noha Atef — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:59:10 +0000

The Egyptian blogger Abdel Rahman Fares was summoned to State Security headquarters, where he was blamed for his online writings. Fares was warned that he would be arrested if he goes on blogging, and asked to give up both his online and offline activities.

Fares is blogging at Lesani Howa Qalami (My Tongue is My Pen). On Friday, 25 September, 2009, he received a phone call from States Security, and was asked several questions related to his blogging, then summoned to State Security office in Fayoum (North of Cairo) where Fares is living.

The young blogger (25 years) spent around four hours at the State Security headquarter, where he was interrogated about a strike to take place in October and about his political views.

Fares was interrogated by three police officers, one of them discussed with him a post appeared on his blog entitled “Those will spend the feast behind bars with accusation of loving Egypt” in which Fares reminded his readers about the fate of detained bloggers, like Mous'ad Abu Fagr, Ahmad Abu Doma, Kareem Amer and Hani Nazeer.

At the Sate Security headquarter, Fares was offered to stop his activism in exchange for becoming a member of the ruling Party's ‘elite', an offer that he politely refused.

After his release, many Egyptian bloggers covered their friend's experience, calling each others not go to State Security offices when they are summoned via the telephone, as it is not a legal order.

Fares was arrested previously on 2007 and 2009. His last arrest was on 5th April, 2008, while he was handing out flyers in his city calling people to take on the street and protest against the government, as a part of 6th April strike.

Egypt: Detained blogger assaulted and asked to convert to Islam in exchange for his freedom

Noha Atef — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:53:47 +0000

The lawyer of the arrested blogger Hani Nazeer still not allowed to visit his client. However, the Christian blogger Nazeer managed to contact The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information revealing that he was assaulted and asked to convert to Islam in exchange for his freedom:

He and other inmates had been beaten by prison officers and had their heads shaved by force. Nazeer said that he has now been registered as a criminal detainee, which puts his life in danger as he will be imprisoned with drug dealers and murderers… He earlier complained to ANHRI lawyers that he was being pressured to convert to Islam in exchange for his freedom

Nazeer has been arrested for almost a year, as in 1st October 2008 he was taken from his house in Qena (Upper Egypt) with the help of the church and a wide welcome from local Muslims.

According to the ANHRI, the controversy began when some young Muslims were browsing Hani's blog Karaz Elhob (Love Cherries) and found a link to another site containing an electronic novel called “Azazil's Goat in Mecca” which included an attack on Islam. This novel is written by an anonymous author under the name of “Father Utah” and came in response to Yusuf Zidane's famous novel “Azazil,” which was considered by some conservatives as offensive to Christianity. Hani's village thought he was the author of the story.

For the time being, Hani's blog has no posts; all his articles seem to be removed. The arrested blogger used to criticize both of Muslims and Christians ‘fanatics’ and mixing religion with politics.

Nazeer has been detained in Borg El-Arab prison in Alexandria, a place used to detain bloggers such as Musa'ad Abu Fagr, who was beaten up in his prison cell and Kareem Amer who has been subjected to severe torture which resulted in multiple injuries in addition to a broken tooth. Kareem Amer was deprived of the right to report the incident and of the right to document these injuries in a medical report. Two other bloggers were reported to have been tortured in Borg El-Arab like Kareem El-Beheiry and Mohammad Maree.

In order to scare them, and the rest of the egyptian blogsphere, bloggers are usually detained with criminals, or confined in isolation. However, this strategy failed to scare the Egyptian blogsphere which became actively engaged in protesting prison abuses and incommunicado detention.

These crimes against bloggers have occurred within the frame of the systematic phenomenon of torture all over the Egyptian police stations and prisons.