ALEXANDRIAN BLOGGER AT RISK OF JAIL TIME

UNCLAS CAIRO 000198

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

NSC STAFF FOR WATERS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KIRF EG
SUBJECT: ALEXANDRIAN BLOGGER AT RISK OF JAIL TIME

REF: A. 2006 CAIRO 7109


B. 2005 CAIRO 8700

C. 2005 CAIRO 8498

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY.


1. (U) THIS IS AN APP ALEXANDRIA MESSAGE.


2. (SBU) SUMMARY: EGYPTIAN BLOGGER ABDEL KARIM NABIL SOLIMAN
FACES A FINAL HEARING AND SENTENCING IN AN EGYPTIAN COURT ON
JANUARY 25 ON CHARGES THAT INCLUDE "INCITING HATRED OF ISLAM
AND INSULTING THE PROPHET MOHAMED," "DEFAMING THE PRESIDENT
OF THE REPUBLIC," AND "SPREADING RUMORS THAT COULD DISRUPT
PUBLIC PEACE AND THAT DAMAGE EGYPT'S REPUTATION" IN ENTRIES
TO HIS ARABIC-LANGUAGE BLOG. HIS LAWYERS FEAR HE WILL BE
CONVICTED; IT IS UNCLEAR EXACTLY WHAT THE SENTENCE MIGHT BE,
BUT COULD BE AS LONG AS NINE YEARS IMPRISONMENT. END SUMMARY.


3. (SBU) ABDEL KARIM NABIL SOLIMAN, AN ALEXANDRIA-BASED
BLOGGER, WAS ARRESTED IN EARLY NOVEMBER 2006 FOR WRITINGS ON
HIS BLOG. HE HAD BEEN IN AND OUT OF DETENTION, WITHOUT
CHARGE, SINCE LATE 2005 (REFTELS) AFTER POSTING ENTRIES ON
HIS ARABIC-LANGUAGE BLOG CRITICAL OF BOTH THE RELIGIOUS AND
POLITICAL ESTABLISHMENTS IN EGYPT, SPECIFICALLY THE ROLE OF
ISLAMISTS IN INCITING CHRISTIAN-MUSLIM RIOTS IN ALEXANDRIA
DURING RAMADAN 2005 AND OF PRESIDENT MUBARAK,S SOLICITING OF
OFFICIAL ENDORSEMENT BY RELIGIOUS AUTHORITIES FOR HIS 2005
REELECTION CAMPAIGN.


4. (SBU) ABDEL KARIM,S BLOG IS KNOWN FOR SEVERE CRITICISM OF
RELIGIOUS DOGMATISM THAT HE VIEWS AS UNRAVELING EGYPT'S
TRADITIONALLY MULTI-RELIGIOUS SOCIETY. THESE WRITINGS GOT
HIM EXPELLED FROM AL AZHAR UNIVERSITY IN 2006 WHERE HE HAD
BEEN A STUDENT OF LAW AT THE UNIVERSITYS DAMANHOUR CAMPUS
(ROUGHLY 25 MILES SE OF ALEXANDRIA). THE EXPULSION LETTER
FROM AL AZHAR ACCUSED ABDEL KARIM OF "INAPPROPRIATE
STATEMENTS AND ACTIONS THAT ARE DISHONORABLE, DISCREDIT
RELIGIOUS MORALS AND HONESTY, AND ARE CONSIDERED
BLASPHEMOUS." HE WAS ACCUSED ALSO OF HAVING INSULTED THE
GRAND IMAM OF AL AZHAR, SHAYKH TANTAWI, IN HIS CRITICISM OF
THE IMAM'S ENDORSEMENT OF PRESIDENT MUBARAK DURING THE
LATTER'S REELECTION CAMPAIGN IN 2005. THESE ALLEGATIONS WERE
LATER FORWARDED BY AL AZHAR OFFICIALS TO THE PUBLIC
PROSECUTOR, WHO IN TURN ORDERED ABDEL KARIM,S ARREST AND
TRIAL.


5. (SBU) ABDEL KARIM,S TRIAL IS THE SUBJECT OF A SOMEWHAT
TENTATIVE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN AMONG EGYPTIAN BLOGGERS AND
FREEDOM ACTIVISTS -- TENTATIVE DUE TO THE SENSITIVITY OF THE
CHARGES AGAINST HIM, PARTICULARLY THOSE REGARDING ALLEGED
INSULTING OF ISLAM. THE CASE HAS BEEN IGNORED BY STATE
MEDIA, AND IS NOT WIDELY KNOWN AMONG THE PUBLIC. LAWYERS AND
SUPPORTERS EXPECT A CONVICTION IN THE CASE, BUT HOPE FOR
LENIENCY FROM THE JUDGE IN REDUCING A SENTENCE THAT COULD BE
AS LONG AS NINE YEARS. PHOTOS TAKEN BY SUPPORTERS DURING
BRIEF VISITS INDICATE ABDEL KARIM'S HEALTH HAS SUFFERED
DURING HIS DETENTION SINCE NOVEMBER. MUCH OF HIS TIME IN THE
HADRA PRISON IN ALEXANDRIA HAS BEEN SPENT IN A SOLITARY CELL,
REPORTEDLY AT ABDEL KARIM'S OWN REQUEST AS A RESULT OF SEVERE
HARASSMENT AND ABUSE BY OTHER PRISONERS ANGERED BY THE
ALLEGATIONS OF ANTI-ISLAMIC STATEMENTS AGAINST HIM.


6. (SBU) LAWYERS FOR ABDEL KARIM AND SUPPORTERS FOLLOWING THE
CASE EXPRESSED FEAR OF A CONVICTION IN THE CASE IN JANUARY 24
CONVERSATIONS WITH APP ALEXANDRIA PRINCIPAL OFFICER AND FSN.
ONE OF HIS ATTORNEYS, PART OF AN EGYPTIAN HUMAN RIGHTS LEGAL
DEFENSE COMMITTEE REPRESENTING ABDEL KARIM ON A PRO BONO
BASIS, SAID THAT PROSECUTORS OBTAINED WHAT THEY VIEW AS A
CONFESSION DURING ONE OF ABDEL KARIM,S INTERROGATIONS. THE
ATTORNEY ALSO REPORTED THAT THE JUDGE IN THE CASE IS KNOWN TO
BE TOUGH. HE EXPECTED A CONVICTION WITH A SENTENCE OF
SOMETHING LESS THAN THE MAXIMUM OF 9 YEARS FOR THE THREE
SEPARATE CHARGES AGAINST ABDEL KARIM. AN ALEXANDRIA-BASED
BLOGGER FOLLOWING THE CASE TOLD ALEXANDRIA APP PRINCIPAL
OFFICER THAT AN APPEAL HAD BEEN LAUNCHED THROUGH A NETWORK OF
EGYPTIAN BLOGS TO SUPPORT ABDEL KARIM AT HIS SENTENCING. HE
EXPECTED A GROUP OF "UP TO A HUNDRED" TO APPEAR, MOSTLY
TRAVELING FROM CAIRO, AND AIMED AT PRESSURING THE JUDGE IN
THE CASE TO GO LIGHT IN HIS SENTENCING. THIS CONTACT ALSO
EXPECTED A CONVICTION.


7. (SBU) POST WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW ABDEL KARIM'S CASE AND
THE OUTCOME OF HIS SENTENCING, AS SOON AS IT IS ANNOUNCED.
IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE SENTENCING HEARING SCHEDULED FOR
JANUARY 25 WAS DELAYED BY ONE WEEK FROM ITS ORIGINAL JANUARY
18 DATE AND COULD BE POSTPONED AGAIN.
RICCIARDONE