Egyptian blogger held despite finished sentence

Kareem Amer has reportedly been beaten and abused in custody

Amnesty International:

Amnesty International today called on the Egyptian authorities to immediately release a blogger who the authorities continue to hold despite his completion of a four year prison sentence.

Kareem Amer, who was jailed for criticizing President Hosni Mubarak and Islam on his blog, is being held at a State Security Intelligence (SSI) detention centre in Alexandria despite being due for release on 5 November.

Lawyers from the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) reported that he has been beaten and abused by State Security Intelligence (SSI) officers.

"Kareem Amer has already served his sentence of four years, which in itself was handed down for actions that amounted to no more than exercising his right to freedom of expression, and yet he remains detained." said Amnesty International.

"The Egyptian authorities need to investigate allegations of beatings and other ill-treatment, and explain on what legal grounds Kareem Amer is now being detained."

Kareem Amer was beaten by a junior SSI officer who threatened him in order to stop him writing about Islam and Christians. The officer also threatened to extend Amer’s original detention sentence.

Kareem had initially understood that he was being taken to the SSI office merely to complete the release papers.

In 2007, Kareem Amer was convicted of "inciting strife and defaming Muslims on the internet by describing the Prophet of Islam and his comrades as murderers, which disturbs national peace", and "insulting the President of the Republic by writing on the internet".

In November 2008, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) declared Kareem Amer's detention "arbitrary" on the grounds that being arrested for online criticism and for exercising his right to freedom of expression violated freedoms guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Prison guards had previously assaulted Kareem Amer and also placed him in solitary confinement for allegedly assaulting another inmate, in October 2007.

"The Egyptian authorities have persisted in persecuting Kareem Amer, and others like him, for criticising the Egyptian government," said Amnesty International

Amnesty International said it considers Karim Amer to be a prisoner of conscience and continues to campaign for his release.

Amnesty International also called on President Hosni Mubarak to curb the powers of the SSI and ensure that SSI officials who breach the law or are responsible for abusing prisoners are brought to justice.