Musaad Abu Fagr is a novalist, cinematographer and a blogger.  Hailing from a Bedouin tribe in Sinai, he ran a blog entitled, “wdna neish,” We want to live. The blog highlighted discrimination and persecution the Bedouin community faces in Egypt. His blog led a series of demonstrations as part of the Bedouin rights movement, which Fagr co-founded. 

 

Fagr faced illness and harsh conditions in prison and Egyptian bloggers have been delighted in his release; they have held demonstrations and conferences to further pressure Egyptian authorities on the issue of freedom of expression.   

 

Fagr’s release is welcome news, but a great many dissidents remain in prison, threatened and detained under Egypt’s emergency laws.   Kareem Amer, for example, is a student blogger now in his fourth year in prison for criticizing Egypt’s dictator.  Fagr’s release encourages us to continue fighting for Amer and his fellow cyberdissidents throughout the Middle East.