VZCZCXYZ0021
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHEGA #0198 0241707
ZNR UUUUU ZZH ZUI RUEWMCF3091 0241855
O 241707Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0000
INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS CAIRO 000198 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC STAFF FOR WATERS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KIRF EG
SUBJECT: ALEXANDRIAN BLOGGER AT RISK OF JAIL TIME 
 
REF: A. 2006 CAIRO 7109 
 
     ¶B. 2005 CAIRO 8700 
     ¶C. 2005 CAIRO 8498 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. 
 
¶1. (U) THIS IS AN APP ALEXANDRIA MESSAGE. 
 
¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY:  EGYPTIAN BLOGGER ABDEL KARIM NABIL SOLIMAN 
FACES A FINAL HEARING AND SENTENCING IN AN EGYPTIAN COURT ON 
JANUARY 25 ON CHARGES THAT INCLUDE "INCITING HATRED OF ISLAM 
AND INSULTING THE PROPHET MOHAMED," "DEFAMING THE PRESIDENT 
OF THE REPUBLIC," AND "SPREADING RUMORS THAT COULD DISRUPT 
PUBLIC PEACE AND THAT DAMAGE EGYPT'S REPUTATION" IN ENTRIES 
TO HIS ARABIC-LANGUAGE BLOG.  HIS LAWYERS FEAR HE WILL BE 
CONVICTED; IT IS UNCLEAR EXACTLY WHAT THE SENTENCE MIGHT BE, 
BUT COULD BE AS LONG AS NINE YEARS IMPRISONMENT.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶3. (SBU) ABDEL KARIM NABIL SOLIMAN, AN ALEXANDRIA-BASED 
BLOGGER, WAS ARRESTED IN EARLY NOVEMBER 2006 FOR WRITINGS ON 
HIS BLOG.  HE HAD BEEN IN AND OUT OF DETENTION, WITHOUT 
CHARGE, SINCE LATE 2005 (REFTELS) AFTER POSTING ENTRIES ON 
HIS ARABIC-LANGUAGE BLOG CRITICAL OF BOTH THE RELIGIOUS AND 
POLITICAL ESTABLISHMENTS IN EGYPT, SPECIFICALLY THE ROLE OF 
ISLAMISTS IN INCITING CHRISTIAN-MUSLIM RIOTS IN ALEXANDRIA 
DURING RAMADAN 2005 AND OF PRESIDENT MUBARAK,S SOLICITING OF 
OFFICIAL ENDORSEMENT BY RELIGIOUS AUTHORITIES FOR HIS 2005 
REELECTION CAMPAIGN. 
 
¶4. (SBU) ABDEL KARIM,S BLOG IS KNOWN FOR SEVERE CRITICISM OF 
RELIGIOUS DOGMATISM THAT HE VIEWS AS UNRAVELING EGYPT'S 
TRADITIONALLY MULTI-RELIGIOUS SOCIETY.  THESE WRITINGS GOT 
HIM EXPELLED FROM AL AZHAR UNIVERSITY IN 2006 WHERE HE HAD 
BEEN A STUDENT OF LAW AT THE UNIVERSITYS DAMANHOUR CAMPUS 
(ROUGHLY 25 MILES SE OF ALEXANDRIA).  THE EXPULSION LETTER 
FROM AL AZHAR ACCUSED ABDEL KARIM OF "INAPPROPRIATE 
STATEMENTS AND ACTIONS THAT ARE DISHONORABLE, DISCREDIT 
RELIGIOUS MORALS AND HONESTY, AND ARE CONSIDERED 
BLASPHEMOUS."  HE WAS ACCUSED ALSO OF HAVING INSULTED THE 
GRAND IMAM OF AL AZHAR, SHAYKH TANTAWI, IN HIS CRITICISM OF 
THE IMAM'S ENDORSEMENT OF PRESIDENT MUBARAK DURING THE 
LATTER'S REELECTION CAMPAIGN IN 2005.  THESE ALLEGATIONS WERE 
LATER FORWARDED BY AL AZHAR OFFICIALS TO THE PUBLIC 
PROSECUTOR, WHO IN TURN ORDERED ABDEL KARIM,S ARREST AND 
TRIAL. 
 
¶5. (SBU) ABDEL KARIM,S TRIAL IS THE SUBJECT OF A SOMEWHAT 
TENTATIVE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN AMONG EGYPTIAN BLOGGERS AND 
FREEDOM ACTIVISTS -- TENTATIVE DUE TO THE SENSITIVITY OF THE 
CHARGES AGAINST HIM, PARTICULARLY THOSE REGARDING ALLEGED 
INSULTING OF ISLAM.  THE CASE HAS BEEN IGNORED BY STATE 
MEDIA, AND IS NOT WIDELY KNOWN AMONG THE PUBLIC.  LAWYERS AND 
SUPPORTERS EXPECT A CONVICTION IN THE CASE, BUT HOPE FOR 
LENIENCY FROM THE JUDGE IN REDUCING A SENTENCE THAT COULD BE 
AS LONG AS NINE YEARS.  PHOTOS TAKEN BY SUPPORTERS DURING 
BRIEF VISITS INDICATE ABDEL KARIM'S HEALTH HAS SUFFERED 
DURING HIS DETENTION SINCE NOVEMBER.  MUCH OF HIS TIME IN THE 
HADRA PRISON IN ALEXANDRIA HAS BEEN SPENT IN A SOLITARY CELL, 
REPORTEDLY AT ABDEL KARIM'S OWN REQUEST AS A RESULT OF SEVERE 
HARASSMENT AND ABUSE BY OTHER PRISONERS ANGERED BY THE 
ALLEGATIONS OF ANTI-ISLAMIC STATEMENTS AGAINST HIM. 
 
¶6. (SBU) LAWYERS FOR ABDEL KARIM AND SUPPORTERS FOLLOWING THE 
CASE EXPRESSED FEAR OF A CONVICTION IN THE CASE IN JANUARY 24 
CONVERSATIONS WITH APP ALEXANDRIA PRINCIPAL OFFICER AND FSN. 
ONE OF HIS ATTORNEYS, PART OF AN EGYPTIAN HUMAN RIGHTS LEGAL 
DEFENSE COMMITTEE REPRESENTING ABDEL KARIM ON A PRO BONO 
BASIS, SAID THAT PROSECUTORS OBTAINED WHAT THEY VIEW AS A 
CONFESSION DURING ONE OF ABDEL KARIM,S INTERROGATIONS.  THE 
ATTORNEY ALSO REPORTED THAT THE JUDGE IN THE CASE IS KNOWN TO 
BE TOUGH.  HE EXPECTED A CONVICTION WITH A SENTENCE OF 
SOMETHING LESS THAN THE MAXIMUM OF 9 YEARS FOR THE THREE 
SEPARATE CHARGES AGAINST ABDEL KARIM.  AN ALEXANDRIA-BASED 
BLOGGER FOLLOWING THE CASE TOLD ALEXANDRIA APP PRINCIPAL 
OFFICER THAT AN APPEAL HAD BEEN LAUNCHED THROUGH A NETWORK OF 
EGYPTIAN BLOGS TO SUPPORT ABDEL KARIM AT HIS SENTENCING.  HE 
EXPECTED A GROUP OF "UP TO A HUNDRED" TO APPEAR, MOSTLY 
TRAVELING FROM CAIRO, AND AIMED AT PRESSURING THE JUDGE IN 
THE CASE TO GO LIGHT IN HIS SENTENCING.  THIS CONTACT ALSO 
EXPECTED A CONVICTION. 
 
¶7. (SBU) POST WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW ABDEL KARIM'S CASE AND 
THE OUTCOME OF HIS SENTENCING, AS SOON AS IT IS ANNOUNCED. 
IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE SENTENCING HEARING SCHEDULED FOR 
JANUARY 25 WAS DELAYED BY ONE WEEK FROM ITS ORIGINAL JANUARY 
18 DATE AND COULD BE POSTPONED AGAIN. 
RICCIARDONE