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- February 4, 2010
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Upholding the Imprisonment Sentence of Blogger Wael Abbas, Six Months In Jail
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information said that the misdemeanor court of Hadayek ElQobba, upheld the sentence against the blogger “Wael Abbas” of six months imprisonment and LE 500 pounds as a judiciary bail in order that he would not attend the appeal hearing. The lawsuit was filed against Wael by a citizen and his police officer brother on charges of “damaging an internet cable”.
The case comes in a series of multiple violations against Abbas as consequences to what he publishes on his blog http://misrdigital.blogspirit.com” where he monitors and exposes many crimes of torture committed by the government against citizens. The verdict is a threat to the blogger to force him stop blogging.
On 11/11/2009, the misdemeanor court of Hadayek ElQobba has ruled in absentia sentencing Wael Abbas to six months in jail and a LE 500 judiciary bail the in the case #19478/2009, which was filed by Ahmed Maher Aglan brother of police officer Ashraf Aglan on 18/4/2009. ANHRI legal aid unit opposed the first instance ruling ,however, it was upheld today. ANHRI legal aid unit will appeal to the sentence shortly.
The public prosecutor has filed the complaint submitted by Wael Abbas in April 2009 after he had been physically assaulted by a police officer and his brother. The complaint was concluded allegedly for insufficient evidence despite the presence of three medical reports including a forensic record of injuries and despite that one of Wael’s teeth got broken.
Officer Aglan, of Cairo tourist police force, and his brother Ahmed Aglan raided Wael Abbas house in Hadayek ElQobba and beat him up leading to several injuries on his body and a broken tooth. The officer abused his connections such that his brother would report Wael for damaging the brother’s internet cable.
It is known that Abbas has become the favorite target for frequent harassment by Egyptian security. He was arrested more than once at Cairo airport .He was prevented from traveling and his computer was illegally seized. Today’s ruling came to top the violation set.
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information demanded the Egyptian government to discontinue persecuting Abbas and to stop devising methods to inhibit him from exposing the Egyptian government scandals. ANHRI demanded the government to support him so as not to stop blogging in support of freedom of expression and criticism and stressed on the need to reopen the investigation in the assault incident against Abbas in a fair and legal manner.