Blogger interrogated; released on bail

The Abbassiya Prosecutor interrogated today blogger and friend Amr Gharbeia on chrages of libel, part of the crackdown on the blogosphere orchestrated by Judge Abdel Fattah Mourad. The interrogation lasted for two hours and half, after which Amr was released on a LE200 bail.

[Above: Blogger Amr Gharbeia during Bloggers and Rights Lawyers Against Torture meeting. Photo by Hossam el-Hamalawy, taken on 17 March, 2007.]

The prosecutor tried to force Amr into handing out the IP addresses of readers who posted comments on his blog, but Amr rightly refused.

The interrogation will be resumed next Tuesday with Amr, together with leftist lawyers Gamal Eid and Ahmad Seif el-Islam, against whom Judge Mourad is trying to fabricate charges of blackmail.

[Above: Leftist lawyers Gamal Eid (L) and Ahmad Seif el-Islam (R) during Bloggers and Rights Lawyers Against Torture meeting. Photo by Hossam el-Hamalawy, taken on 17 March, 2007.]