Egypt
Controversial blogger released from jailPosted Feb 26 2010
An Egyptian appeals court acquitted blogger and anti-torture activist Wael Abbas after previously being sentenced to six months in jail.
The sentence was given last November after Abbas and his neighbor Ahmed Maher Aglan and the man's police officer brother quarreled about accessing the Internet.
After attacking Abbas, the two men raided his home and later sued Abbas for damaging an Internet cable.
The Arabic Network for Human Rights offered legal support for Abbas and called the lawsuit a 'fabricated case,' saying the blogger is innocent.
The Arabic Network for Human Rights said that Abbas has been a target for years because of his outspoken history. They said in a statement on Global Voices Advocacy: “It is known that Wael Abbas has become a target for interior ministry and its officers for more than two years because of his persistent endeavors to broadcast the so called ‘torture clips’. Officers have repeatedly orchestrated Abbas without being deterred by prosecution.”
According to Bikya Amasr, the blogger has been the spokesperson for the anti-torture campaign, posting videos online that display the ruthlessness of police officers in Egypt.
The court threw out Abbas’ charges Feb. 18 and was released from jail, avoiding a six-month jail sentence. Reporters Without Borders called Abbas' release a “setback for the government and its strategy of harassment and intimidating its critics,” and also asked that the police officers be punished for their actions. The news was also spread through Twitter, where bloggers praised the court's decision.