Trial
On January 25, 2007, a hearing took place before a court in Alexandria. Amer's defence lawyers requested the trial be adjourned so that a computer expert could be called to identify where the Web site "Modern Discussion" is hosted. It was argued that if the site was not hosted in Egypt, the Egyptian courts may be unable to prosecute Amer for his writings on that site. During the hearing, a lawyer in the courtroom introduced himself as Mohamed Dawoud, and immediately submitted a claim against Amer for his "incitement to hatred of Islam". The new claim was added as a new case that Amer would be held accountable for, even if he were to be acquitted from all the current charges made against him.
Prosecution arguments in a February 1 session were given by a team of Muslim lawyers who volunteered to serve as the 'representatives of the people,' an arrangement allowed under Egyptian law. The government's state prosecutors, who drew up the legal case against Nabil, were not present. In a heated exchange during the court session, prosecution lawyers accused Amer of being an 'apostate' and called on judge Ayman al-Akazi to hand Amer the maximum punishment.
Amer defended himself by saying, "I don't see what I have done ... I expressed my opinion...the intention was not anything like these ." Defence lawyers argued that crimes related to the Internet were new in Egypt and that the penal code did not cover them. Prosecution lawyer Mohamed Dawoud stated, "I want him to get the toughest punishment ... I am on a jihad here ... If we leave the likes of him without punishment, it will be like a fire that consumes everything." The blogger's father, Nabil Sulaiman, mocked the human rights organizations which tried to release his son. He called for applying Islamic Law "allowing him to repent within three days before killing him if he will not", according to the Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm.
On February 22, the judge said Nabil was guilty and would serve three years for insulting Islam and inciting sedition, and one year for insulting Mr Mubarak. An appeals court upheld the sentence on March 13, 2007.
Read more about this topic: Kareem Amer
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