Dissident Egyptian blogger freed after 4 years

[cory777]

Source: LA Times

An Egyptian blogger whose case epitomized the struggle for freedom of expression in cyberspace has been freed after serving four years in prison on charges of insulting Islam and defaming President Hosni Mubarak.

Human rights organizations announced Wednesday that Abdel Kareem Nabil Suleiman, the blogger known as Kareem Amer, had been released from prison. His ordeal highlighted the Egyptian government's concern over dissident voices arising on websites and online social networks that are trickier to control than traditional opposition media outlets.

"We are deeply relieved and happy to know that Kareem's nightmare is over and he is free at last," the international advocacy group Reporters Without Borders said in a statement. "Nothing will be able to erase his four years of suffering as a result of a totally unjustified conviction, but at least he will no longer be the scapegoat of Egyptian government anger at criticism expressed by bloggers.

"We will closely monitor the behavior of the authorities towards Kareem in the coming months and we will be ready to report any attempt to intimidate him."

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-egypt-blogger-20101118,0,6681344.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Feurope+%28L.A.+Times+-+Europe%29

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[BolivarianHero]

1. This is fucking embarrassing...

Egypt's ruling party is a member of the Socialist International and yet it constantly violates fundamental human freedoms, sucks off Uncle Sam, and openly persecutes atheists. Why aren't Canadian and European members forcing the bastards out at gunpoint?