0 
0 Today's trial highlights:
1) The Islamist Lawyer returned today, and gave a fiery speech-interjected with tears- against Abdel Karim that got the people all riled up. However, since the dude is neither part of the persecution nor the defense, it's all just theatrics with no real subsatnce or value. However, he was joined today by 5 more Lawyers who wanted to also sue Abdel Karim. It's a suing party!
2) The Judge asked the Defense what would happen if he didn't grant them their demand for a telecomunications engineer who would examine the physical location of the servers. The Lawyers said they would withdraw from representing Abdel Karim on the grounds of an un-fair trial. The Judge then announced that the trial will be resumed on February the 22nd and that he would give his answer to the defense's demands and the verdict all at the same day. He said also not to prepare for an oral argument, but rather write him a memorandum of what their argument will be instead.
3) Understanding that the Judge pretty much rejected their demands, the defense lawyers are expecting a harsh verdict next week on Abdel Karim. They are also preparing for the appeal, figuring they had a better chnace at Appeals court than they do at this one. Let's hope so.
English
However, since the dude is neither part of the persecution nor the defense, it’s all just theatrics with no real subsatnce or value.
So that was just the “crazy religious nut” portion of the trial?
So weird.
What’s the maximum sentence Karim is facing?
If convicetd on the 3 charges, 7-9 years. If only on the disdain for religion one, 3 years!
This prosecution increases my personal disdain for religion.
But, because I’m not in egypt, I won’t get persecuted for it. Poor abdel. He had the bad luck to be born in the wrong time and place.
At a nuts and bolts level: why is the defense interested in the physical location of the servers? Does anyone know?
Amazing – it’s 2007. You’re not in Saudi (or Pakistan or Iran).
I don’t expect anything close to full freedom of speech in a police state.
But this is absolutely insane twighlight zone stuff.
Does the government have any idea how backwards this makes them look?
They obviously don’t care.
It’s amazing. The MB is “illegal” and so is having “disdain for (the Islamic) religion.”
So much for nuance.
The Judge isn’t all that bright, and I’m not sure why the lawyers aren’t resigning right now. Saying that he’ll rule on the request for a technical expert (who would presumably need more than a day to accomplish anything) on the same day he gives the verdict is an explicit “no”; he can’t grant the request and render a verdict on the same day, so he’s announced to the world that he’ll be denying the request.
If that’s the case, and the lawyers would have resigned in protest had he just said “no” outright yesterday, why the hell are they not resigning in protest?
Anyone?
Why did he bother adjorning till then. Damn inefficient.
@ #3:
The location of the server is important. If it is located outside Egypt, Egyptian law has not been broken.
But the other argument could be that since he’s writing those things from within Egypt, the laws should apply.
What exactly are this dudes crimes?
He just spoke something that pissed some dude off?
It’s depressing, but as far as anyone over here noticing? Forget it.
“We don’t… Whatever… We’ve got important things, like fast food, to worry about.
The judgments of courts like these automatically lead to further disdain of their religion, a vicious cycle if anything ever deserved to be called that.
We’ve got similar cr*p in America you just won’t spend as much time in jail or lose a hand or anything (yet…) But some liberal might punch you in the eye for speaking your mind. Oppression is oppression no matter where it is or what shape it takes.
Let’s all say a prayer for Abdel (especially you atheists, god will be surprised into listening)
I am terrified for Abdel. How will he be treated in prison? He better pretend to become super religious and say that he was suffering from temporary insanity. I hope that he goes free and leaves Egypt. If the Egyptian government is smart, they will let him go–people outside of Egypt are getting a really bad idea of the place. Bad for tourism.
Malonic,
I’ve never had a problem with the government, but I have had quite a few run-ins with true-believing liberals who were unable to tolerate my political and philosophical heresy. Character assassination, property destruction, theft, and good stuff like that. All brought to you by the people ostensibly concerned about the right to free speech. Theirs, evidently. Not mine.
Oh BJ Paleaze stop the crap lol!
Twoset, hi! I am worried for Abdel. I don’t think that the defense that his lawyers are trying is going to be effective. I wish that they had said something like that he is having a nervous breakdown. . .
We should be very concerned with Kareem Amer (blog name). This young man was thrown out of his university (Al-Azhar) for his alleged defamation of the Imam of the University. He writes about womens rights, reform within Islam and violence and intolerance that muslims have against the Christian minority in Egypt. This is his second stint in jail and the future does not look good for him. Please write your ambassador of your country and write the Egyptian ambassador to do something. We need people from around the world to support freedom of thought and speech if we are to ever combat such backward ways.
A few links:
http://www.myspace.com/abdelkareem
http://www.myspace.com/abdelkareem
http://www.freekareem.org/
Free Kareem!
http://flickr.com/photos/97122942@N00/
Flickr: Photos from jarelkamar
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0130/p04s01-wome.html
Egypt steps on the press as it backtracks on democratic reform | csmonitor.com
http://www.blogger.com/profile/8310139
Blogger: User Profile: kareem amer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_tARm-SF64
YouTube – Interview with Abdel Kareem Nabil Soliman
http://www.faithfreedom.org/oped/AhmedSalib60326.htm
http://www.faithfreedom.org/oped/AhmedSalib60326.htm
I guess crossing my fingers didn’t work.
I feel so blessed living in a country where one can say “oh, put a sock in it” to our religious nuts.
Lynne,
I feel very bad for Kareem because he lost his basic right of free speech. On the other hand I think the way he expressed his views were smart enough knowing that he is not in a free country.
I would rather him end up in Jail than mental hospital in Egypt. There is hope for him remaining sane in Jail but in the Gov. mental hospital he will become veggie for sure.
[…] And for the latest update on Kareem’s trial, check this posting by the Sand Monkey… […]
“This prosecution increases my personal disdain for religion.”
Religions are a system for guaranteeing incomes for intellectuals by psychological bullying and blackmail. They dress up in funny costumes and threaten people with agony and disaster if they don’t pay the wages of the priests.
Is an acquietal probable?
Twosret, thanks for the information. A sad situation for Abdel. I wish that he had not spoken so openly—it was not in his best interest and has put him in danger.
lynne:
Let’s not wish Abdel spoke openly. Let’s celebrate him and, if we can, protect him.
Sometimes, brave men (braver than me, btw) need to speak out and face the consequences – to act against “their best interest”. We lost more than a few, for example, during the civil rights days in the usa. Gandhi lost a bunch too. Mandela spent the best years of his life in jail. These courageous souls pay the price for the liberty the rest of us enjoy. We lose them in one sense; they are immortal in another.
Of course, I too worry for him. Let’s hope that the letter writing campaign will have some effect. And pray for him, if we’re believers.
Meanwhile – although I hope it works – the server location defense seems a bit technical, doesn’t it? Even if it works for Abdel, it’ll leave others exposed.
Tworset #14,
“Oh BJ Paleaze stop the crap lol! ”
What the hell are you talking about?
My comment was a response to “We’ve got similar cr*p in America … [b]ut some liberal might punch you in the eye for speaking your mind.”
And why do you object to people psting a response to commentsyou had directed to someone else (as you did to Brian, IIRC, in another thread), yet continue to do it yourself? I couldn’t care less, but you seem to, so perhaps you should not practice that which you complain about.
what a bullshit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! everybody should commend ya point of view…. but if somebody who post bulletinzZ over da web is nationalracizZt or whatever which…..wahtevr on whoever on da opionzZ on them’ever ….should be…….u know im sayin””””executed (joke^^)not a joke^^or jus a joke^^ or whatever u know^^
[…] For the three months between his initial incarceration and trial, Abdel Kareem was held in solitary confinement, for fear his fellow inmates would find out why he was in jail and try to score extra points with God by harming him. The judge refused all of the requests from the defense to ease his conditions, causing Abdel Kareem’s lawyers to withdraw in protest. […]