I received the following statement from the Nadeem Center…

El Nadim Center for the Management and Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence
Member of AMAN Network
3 A Soliman El Halabi Street, off Ramsis street, Cairo
Tel: 202 5787089 Fax: 5776792 email: nadeem@link.net website: www.hrinfo.net/egypt/nadeem

Ruling against Karim Amer: A Return to the Age of Inquisition
El Nadim Center expresses its major concern regarding the prison sentence of Karim Amer. Despite repeated promises by the Egyptian President to cancel the prison penalty for publication, we are faced with an increasing number of journalists who are brought to court beginning with the Dostour journalists to Howaida Taha to Karim Amer to Shahenda Maklad who was charged for giving an interview to El Mossawar magazine. Yesterday’ sentence against Karim Amer crosses all red lines which authorities should respect in view of the provisions of the constitution, which grant freedom of opinion and expression and in view of international conventions, foremost the international declaration for political and civil rights, endorsed by Egypt in 1982 without reservations.
The sentence against Karim Amer of 4 years in prison and his earlier arrest upon a complaint by Al Azhar University takes us back to the ages of inquisition. We also wish to note that Al Azhar University has played the same role during the sports show organized by some of its students.
Karim’s trial lacked all conditions of a fair trial according to Egyptian and international standards. A new charge was added to the indictment without informing the defense lawyers or granting them access to the new documents based on the new charges made by the prosecution. The court also did not permit the lawyers to make their defense except through written memoranda prepared before the addition of the new charges.
The common factor shared by all journalists and writers who were brought to court or who were sentenced to prison is that they are all charged of exposing corruption, torture and other human rights violations.
El Nadim Center:
·Condemns the harassment of journalists and writers and their imprisonment because of what their opinions and views.
.Demands the immediate release of Karim Amer
·Demands dropping of all charges related to freedom of opinion and expression.
Cairo, 25/2/2007