Thursday, February 22, 2007

Egypt blogger jailed for 'insult'

An Egyptian court has sentenced a blogger to four years' prison for insulting Islam and the president.

Abdel Kareem Soliman's trial was the first time that a blogger had been prosecuted in Egypt.

He had used his web log to criticise the country's top Islamic institution, al-Azhar university and President Hosni Mubarak, whom he called a dictator.

A human rights group called the verdict "very tough" and a "strong message" to Egypt's thousands of bloggers.

Soliman, 22, was tried in his native city of Alexandria. He blogs under the name Kareem Amer.

A former student at al-Azhar, he called the institution "the university of terrorism" and accused it of suppressing free thought.

The university expelled him in 2006 and pressed prosecutors to put him on trial.

'Slap in the face'

During the five-minute court session the judge said Soliman was guilty and would serve three years for insulting Islam and inciting sedition, and one year for insulting Mr Mubarak."

Hmm. I salute you, Mr. Soliman, and in your name hereby offer the following:

Mubarak SUCKS.

And, as a matter of payback however minuscule, I'll post the same condemnation of pig-fellating Mubarack weekly, until you are released from prison, with the unmistakable inference that it is unfortunate to EVER trust someone named Mu, or Barack.

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