In 2004, Kareem began expressing his reformist views at Modern Discussion, as well as Copts United by 2005. By mid-2006, he discontinued publishing at Copts United because he accuses them of limiting his writings to only criticizing Muslims and not Copts as well.
On October 26, 2005, Amer was arrested for the first time by Egyptian state security agency Amn al-Dawla for anti-religious posts on his blog. He was detained for twelve days, and his books and personal writings were confiscated.
Amer referred to the university as "the university of terrorism" and said that the institution stifles free thought.
University administrators also filed a communiqué to the Public Prosecutor Office against their former student, alleging he was "spreading rumours endangering public security" and "defaming President Mubarak".
On November 6, 2006, Amer was again detained by the public persecution after they questioned him aboout his writing in modern disscution that were considered by authorities to be of an irreligious nature, and because of al-Azhar's complaint to the Public Prosecutor Office.
The interrogation process involved violations by the Public Prosecutor's Office, according to the human rights lawyer of The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) who represented Kareem Amer before the prosecutor. The observed violations include the illegal attendance of three interrogators, their laughing at Kareem Amer while interrogating him, and their addressing unwarranted questions to him (e.g. "Do you fast during Ramadan?", "Do you practice prayer?").
The Public Prosecutor told Kareem that if he did not abandon his views, even though personal, he may be imprisoned. Nevertheless, Kareem Amer insisted on his right to freedom of expression. Consequently, Egyptian prosecutors ordered that Amer be held in a detention center in Alexandria until November 22 at least. His detention was renewed four times before his trial opened in an Alexandria court.
During the hearing, a lawyer in the court room introduced himself as Mohamed Dawoud, and immediately submitted a claim against Kareem for his "incitement to hatred of Islam". The new claim was added as a new case that Kareem will be held accountable for, even if he were to be acquitted from all the current charges made against him.
The trial was adjourned to February 1, 2007.
Prosecution arguments in the February 1, 2007 session were given by a team of Muslim lawyers who volunteered to serve as the 'representatives of the people,' an arrangement allowed under Egyptian law. The government's state prosecutors, who drew up the legal case against Nabil, were not present.
In a heated exchange during the court session, prosecution lawyers accused Kareem of being an 'apostate' and called on judge Ayman al-Akazi to hand Kareem the maximum punishment. As a result, a heated exchange occurred between the prosecution and defence until the judge demanded order.
Kareem defended himself by saying:
"I don't see what I have done," he said from the defendant’s cage. "I expressed my opinion...the intention was not anything like these [charges]."
Defence lawyers argued that crimes related to the Internet were new in Egypt and that the penal code did not cover them.
Prosecution lawyer Mohamed Dawoud told The Associated Press:
"I want him [Nabil] to get the toughest punishment," Dawoud told . "I am on a jihad here ... If we leave the likes of him without punishment, it will be like a fire that consumes everything."
The trial was adjourned to February 22, 2007 where the judge said Nabil was guilty and would serve three years for insulting Islam and inciting sedition, and one year for insulting Mr Mubarak.
The Blogger's father "Nabil Sulaiman" has mocked the human rights organizations which tried to release his son and called for applying Islamic Law "allowing him to repent within three days before killing him in case he will not do" according to the Egyptian newspaper "Al-Masri Alyaum".
"''Democracies must allow for freedom of speech and certainly for the tolerance of diverse religious beliefs. I laud Mr. Amer’s recognition that violence in the name of religion is unacceptable. I urge the Egyptian government to free Mr. Amer and to protect its citizens from persecution.''"
January 31, 2007: New York City residents have held a peaceful protest in front of the Egyptian Consulate in New York. The aim of the gathering was to protest Egypt’s treatment of Kareem and to plead for all charges against him to be dropped.
Category:Egyptian atheists Category:Egyptian bloggers Category:People from Alexandria Category:Political weblogs Category:Blogs about Muslims and Islam Category:Egyptian prisoners and detainees Category:Living people Category:1984 births Category:Prisoners and detainees of Egypt Category:Al-Azhar University alumni
ar:كريم عامر fr:Kareem Amer arz:كريم عامرThis text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
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