Committee to Protect Journalists condemns arrest of blogger critical of Egypt

CPJ Condemns Blogger’s Conviction for Insulting Islam
Committee to Protect Journalists
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Contact: Abi Wright
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Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x-105

EGYPT: CPJ Condemns Blogger’s Conviction for Insulting Islam, President Mubarak

New York, February 22, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists released the following statement in response to today’s conviction of Internet writer Abdel Karim Suleiman, who was found guilty of insulting Islam and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and sentenced to four years in prison by a court in Alexandria.

“With this verdict, Egypt has opened up a new front in its efforts to stifle media freedoms,” said CPJ Middle East Program Coordinator Joel Campagna. “It sets an alarming precedent for the criminalization of online expression and will surely have a debilitating effect on an all independent media in Egypt. Abdel Karim Suleiman should be released immediately.”

According to CPJ research, Internet writers and editors are the fastest growing segment of imprisoned journalists worldwide, with 49 behind bars as of December 2006. CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.