Egypt: Netizen Facing Military Trial for Creating Facebook Page

Update 1: On November 30th, 2010, the military court sentenced Ahmed to 6 months imprisonment for broadcasting secrets of defense on Facebook.

For the second time in Egypt an internet user is going to face a military trial. Ahmed Hassan Basiouny is facing a military trial this month under case number 4405/2010 after being accused by the military prosecution for:

Broadcasting secrets of defense via the Internet, and publishing news and information related to the Armed Forces of Egypt by creating a website titled Packing and Recruitment Management in Egypt and answering questions of youth applying to the recruitment

Screenshot of the facebook page.

The military prosecution asked to punish Basiouny according to laws 80 1/2 and 85/3 of the Penal Code and law 5/B of the Military Justice Code.

Basiouny created a Facebook page late in 2009 to provide assistance and guidelines on recruitment.

Hisham Mubarak Law Center, local rights group, invited [Ar] human rights organization to form legal defense team to defense Basiouny before the military court.

It’s worth to mention the first time an internet user faced a military trial was earlier this year when an Egyptian blogger was sent to a military court for a blog post.

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