FACEBOOK ACTIVIST RELEASED

UNCLAS CAIRO 000862 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS NSC FOR PASCUAL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM EG SUBJECT: FACEBOOK ACTIVIST RELEASED REF: CAIRO 730 Sensitive but unclassified. Not for Internet distribution. ¶1. (SBU) Israa Abdel Fattah, a young Ghad party member detained since April 6 for allegedly inciting a general strike on the same day, was released the evening of April 23. Abdel Fattah was reportedly ordered released on April 14 by the Public Prosecutor, but was kept in "protective custody" by the Ministry of Interior until April 23, when the government news agency announced that Minister of Interior Habib Al Adli ordered her release on humanitarian grounds. She originally called for the April 6 strike on the internet social networking site Facebook (reftel),and the Facebook group she launched attracted almost 70,000 members. ¶2. (SBU) Following her release, Abdel Fattah appeared on two evening TV talk shows, where she apologized "for what I did," and said that she does not support and will not participate in a general strike planned for May 4, or any future such initiatives. (Note: Facebook activists are calling for this strike to protest against rising prices, symbolically held on President Mubarak's eightieth birthday. The Facebook group devoted to the strike has over 20,000 members thus far. End note). Abdel Fattah noted that she hoped to depart Cairo on April 24 for the umra pilgrimage to Mecca. She also urged the authorities to release "the other 21 youth who are still imprisoned on charges of participation in the April 6 strike." In response to a question as to whether she would check her Facebook account anytime soon, she replied, "I don't think so." ¶3. (SBU) We have as yet not been successful in our efforts to contact Abdel Fattah's lawyer. Thus, it remains unclear to us whether the charges against Abdel Fattah were dropped, or whether she may still face trial. ¶4. (SBU) Comment: By detaining Abdel Fattah for two and a half weeks, and allowing her chastened appearance on TV so soon after her release, the Egyptian authorities are clearly sending a warning message to other young on-line activists that their virtual activities can have all to real consequences. It remains to be seen whether Abdel Fattah's experience casts a measurable chill over the burgeoning online activist community. SCOBEY