Egypt jails dissident blogger for four years (AFP)

[Eugene]

Egypt jails dissident blogger for four years

Thu Feb 22, 2:38 PM ET

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (AFP) - An Egyptian blogger was sentenced to four years
in jail on Thursday for insulting Islam and defaming President Hosni Mubarak,
triggering condemnation from international human rights groups.

A court in the Mediterranean costal city of Alexandria sentenced Abdel Karim
Suleiman to three years for insulting Islam and to one year for defaming the
president.

This was the first time a blogger has been sentenced in Egypt for writings
published on the Internet.

-snip-

The 22-year-old blogger, also known by his pen name Karim Amer, was arrested
after posting an entry on his blog lashing out at Cairo's Al-Azhar University
-- the highest seat of learning in Sunni Islam.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070222/tc_afp/egyptrightstrialislam_070222164158

[zbdent]

1. Republicans are biding their time and wringing their hands

hoping for the day where the US can do exactly the same ...