http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/headlines.cgi?q=1&s=3 en http://www.cyberdissidents.org/images/logo.jpg http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/headlines.cgi?q=1&s=3 http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1253&q=1&s=3 Thu, 09 May 2013 08:51:05 +0500 Cyberdissidents.org Blogger Board Member Maikel Nabil writes "If you?re an atheist, then you?re lucky you aren?t in Bangladesh this week. Last Sunday, violence exploded in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka, leaving at least 30 people dead. The violence was organized by a coalition of Islamic groups calling themselves ?Hefazat-e Islam,? which means in Arabic ?Protectors of Islam.? Islamists took the streets chanting ?Hang Atheists,? aiming to abolish the...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1247&q=1&s=3 Mon, 15 Apr 2013 07:48:24 +0500 From Movements.org: Around the world today, human rights activists and authoritarian regimes are locked in a PR battle for your hearts and minds. The battleground? Twitter. Recently, a new hashtag has emerged in Egypt that roughly translates to "#tweet_like_an_egg." It's an attempt to fire back at Muslim Brotherhood tweeters who are trolling the activists. Confused? That seems to be the point. Here?s what?s going on:   Popular protest movements across the Middle East have used twitter...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1229&q=1&s=3 Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:04:07 +0500  The Daily Beast recently featured Cyberdissidents blogger Maikel Nabil as one of six best Egypt bloggers to follow. They said: ?While he?s not actually on the ground in Egypt anymore, Maikel Nabil remains an influential" and highly controversial"figure in Egypt. ?A lot of Egyptians don?t see eye to eye with his policies, since he?s pro-normalization with Israel,? Messieh says. When Nabil was in Egypt, he was known for meticulously documenting the numerous human-rights violations...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1227&q=1&s=3 Mon, 04 Feb 2013 09:46:38 +0500 January 25, two years after the uprising that overthrew the thirty year reign of  Egypt?s President Hosni Mubarak, thousands of demonstrators have gathered again in Tahrir Square, as well as all over the country, with a similar list of demands that call for ?bread, dignity, and social justice.? On this momentous #Jan25 anniversary, millions still chant ?the people demand the overthrow of the regime,? and ?down with the rule of the ?Morshid,?? (Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood,...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1225&q=1&s=3 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 08:50:02 +0500 Egyptian lawyer and human rights advocate, Ahmad Al-Jizawi, was sentenced to five years in prison and 300 lashes by the Jeddah General Court in Saudi Arabia. Jizawi has made himself a thorn in the side of Egyptian and Saudi authorities by speaking out against arbitrary detentions, but this time he was charged with attempting to smuggle over 21,000 of the anti-anxiety pill Xanax into the country, pills that are deemed to be narcotics by the Saudi authorities. Last April, Al-Jizawi was taking a...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1221&q=1&s=3 Thu, 13 Dec 2012 10:11:50 +0500 A Cairo court convicted and sentenced the Egyptian Christian blogger Alber Saber to three years in prison for speaking his mind on social networking sites. He is accused of blasphemy and contempt of religion.  Alber Saber is one of several activists that has fallen prey to a campaign led by Egypt's Islamists to curb free expression. Many of those targeted in the campaign are Christians, who make up approximately 10 percent of Egypt's population of 85 million. Saber was arrested in...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1212&q=1&s=3 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 08:55:41 +0500 Al Marg Misdemeanour Court has postponed the verdict of Alber Saber to November 28th. During Monday's court session, the prosecution called on the judge to give Saber the strictest penalty allowed under Article 98 of the Penal Code which is five years imprisonment. Among his charges, he is accused of ?contempt of the Islamic and Christian religions, and insulting the divine being.? Alber?s defense has called to release Alber on bail, and stated that all confessions taken by Alber were forcibly...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1204&q=1&s=3 Mon, 05 Nov 2012 12:17:04 +0500 When the dignity of a citizen collapses while he lives in his own country, then the whole of humanity collapses. For me, it collapsed twice. The First Time Wednesday, January 15, 2012: A patrol of state security personnel broke the main gate of my building and stormed into my family?s apartment. They threatened my family while they were sleeping in their beds, and began to search the house without any warning. When my mother asked them to identify themselves and present a warrant, they tied her...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1200&q=1&s=3 Fri, 19 Oct 2012 08:54:48 +0500 The following article first appeared on ForeignPolicy.com; to access it click here. On October 7, 2012, the office of the Egyptian General Prosecutor decided to start an official investigation accusing me of "blasphemy" -- or, as they call it, "insulting Islam." My crime was expressing my atheist beliefs on my Twitter account. The Egyptian authorities also arrested my friend Alber Saber on similar charges. He remains in jail to this day. Egypt has signed...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1196&q=1&s=3 Wed, 10 Oct 2012 14:12:44 +0500 On October 9, Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi released a statement pardoning all those who were arrested since the beginning of the Egyptian revolution in February 2011.  As a former political prisoner who spent four years in jail under Hosni Mubarak, I had two contradicting feelings.  First, I was thrilled that civilians who spent months in prison following military trials that lacked justice and legitimacy would finally be freed.  But I also was extremely worried.   My...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1194&q=1&s=3 Fri, 05 Oct 2012 07:34:27 +0500 The following article first appeared on The Wall Street Journal. To access, click HERE. On Sunday, the Hirschhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., will open the first major American exhibition of art by Ai Weiwei, one of China's most famous dissidents. Among its works: an approximately 3-by-6-foot magnetic-resonance image of his brain bleeding from a police beating in 2009. Washington diplomats, journalists and art lovers will attend the exhibit before it moves to the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1189&q=1&s=3 Mon, 24 Sep 2012 07:39:48 +0500   The following post was taken from the #FreeAlber Facebook page:   #FreeAlber Alber's mother said that he's well educated, cultured and a political activist. He participated in the revolution. He's a personal friend of all the political forces and all his friends are Muslims. When he went to Tahrir square, she used to tell him, "I know that you are coming back and god will protect you". Despite that he was wounded many times in Tahrir square, he didn't feel despair for...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1186&q=1&s=3 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 10:14:14 +0500 Alber Saber, an Egyptian Christian born in 1985, was arrested on September 16 for his connection to a Facebook page called ?Egyptian Atheists?. According to masrawy.com, one of Alber?s Muslim friends discovered that Alber was an online administrator of the controversial atheist group. The facebook page contained a link to The Innocence of Muslims, an amateur production that recently sparked riots in the Muslim world. The friend brought the page to the attention of some neighbors, who later...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1171&q=1&s=3 Thu, 30 Aug 2012 12:24:11 +0500 ,]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1159&q=1&s=3 Wed, 15 Aug 2012 14:17:54 +0500 Egypt?s new post-revolutionary government, headed by President Mohamed Morsi, has banned Egyptian bookstores from importing the book "A History of the Modern Middle East",  by William L Cleveland and Martin Bunton. The reason the book was banned is unclear, since the administration released no official statement justifying its decree. It is likely that the Muslim Brotherhood opposed passages in the text for ideological reasons. The book is in its 12th edition, however, raising...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1151&q=1&s=3 Fri, 03 Aug 2012 08:39:50 +0500 The following speech was given by Kareem Amer at Google's Illicit Networks summit conference on July 19, 2012:   "I was set free from fear at a very early stage in my life. Most of you would be surprised to hear how I became free of fear. I was raised in an extremist family with a Salafist background. I know this sounds strange, but it helped set me free from fear. I had bad experiences in this background, so anything bad that happens to me now is nothing. It?s much less than what I...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1142&q=1&s=3 Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:22:34 +0500 The following was taken from Rantings of a Sandmonkey on July 18, 2012. Morsy, the Human Being Originally Published in the Daily News Egypt During the first and second round of the presidential elections I always had a problem with regarding President Mohamed Morsy as a real human being with real dreams, real fears and ambitions. I always viewed him as something unreal and virtual, a construct representing the Muslim Brotherhood. It naturally didn?t help that he was an alternate...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1136&q=1&s=3 Tue, 10 Jul 2012 14:13:23 +0500 On July 3, 2012, Syrian activist and CyberDissidents.org blogger board member, Hadeel Kouki, arrived in the United States after being granted humanitarian parole by the American Embassy in Bern, Switzerland. At 21 years-old, Kouki is one of the few young Syrian Christian dissidents who was arrested and tortured by Assad?s forces for over 40 days. Kouki fled Syria in December 2011 and was smuggled into Turkey. After relocating to Egypt, Kouki was attacked by Assad's thugs in her apartment in...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1125&q=1&s=3 Tue, 19 Jun 2012 12:44:10 +0500 The following was taken from The Sandmonkey, to view the original, click here. In my humble opinion, today concludes the end of the first chapter of the Egyptian revolution. I know that other people have it divided into sections in regards to original 18 days, elections, parliament and presidential elections, but I don?t subscribe to that. We went into the revolution with the same thinking that people like me had back in 2005: we must remove Mubarak, stop his son from inheriting us, and...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1119&q=1&s=3 Thu, 14 Jun 2012 06:59:11 +0500 The following article first appeared on The Daily Beast. To access, click HERE.  In his 25 years at Random House, Robert Bernstein published authors from William Faulkner to Dr. Seuss. After traveling to the Soviet Union in 1973, Bernstein began a second long career in the human-rights movement, advocating for Soviet dissidents and fighting to publish writers, like Vaclav Havel, who were censored in their own countries. Now Bernstein?s organization, Advancing Human Rights, is merging...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1115&q=1&s=3 Fri, 08 Jun 2012 11:48:38 +0500 Kharabish, a political multimedia production group, has created animated YouTube videos satirizing the Egyptian presidential candidates. Kharabish recently released a video about the Muslim Brotherhood presidential candidate Mohamed Morsi, mocking his campaign?s attempt to portray him as a superhero who will save Muslims. The video begins by jokingly saying, ?There is an old Egyptian legend that says that if a Muslim woman is in distress and chants, ?Oh Morsi,? then he will be at her side right...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1111&q=1&s=3 Wed, 06 Jun 2012 14:38:17 +0500 The following Article was posted in the Daily Beast on June 6, 2012.  To view the original, click here.   Maikel Nabil Sanad spent 10 months behind bars as the first blogger sentenced after Mubarak?s fall. On his first trip to the U.S., he talks to David Keyes about Egypt?s elections, hope for democracy and how the West can help.     Maikel Nabil Sanad, the first Egyptian blogger sentenced to prison after Hosni Mubarak was ousted from power, waged a 120-day hunger strike behind bars....]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1114&q=1&s=3 Mon, 04 Jun 2012 09:22:32 +0500 Youth movement groups in Egypt have called for a nationwide day of protest on Tuesday, June 5, to contest what they referred to as, ?a fake trial,? of members of Mubarak? regime. The protests will also call for Ahmed Shafik?s disqualification from the presidential race. Online activists have played a vital role in organizing the protests, by using social networking to invite people to the demonstrations in Tahrir Square and various other locations. The infamous Facebook page, ?We Are All Khaled...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1105&q=1&s=3 Thu, 24 May 2012 11:38:09 +0500 On July 13, 2010, formerly imprisoned Egyptian democracy activist, Saad Eddin Ibrahim, wrote:   "A small group of activists in the Middle East have attacked CyberDissidents.org because some of its members are Israeli.  I serve as an advisory board member to this marvelous organization and I am saddened by the attacks on it.  CyberDissidents.org promotes freedom of expression in the Middle East, a cause which people of all faiths and nationalities should support....]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1091&q=1&s=3 Thu, 03 May 2012 08:20:33 +0500 Abbasiya, Cairo - Islamic protesters gathered in front of the Ministry of Defense for four days to show support for former Salafist presidential candidate, Hazem Abu Ismail, who was denied his candidacy because his mother is an American citizen.  On Saturday, April 28, the protestors were assaulted by an unidentified group who some believe were organized by SCAF, leaving one protester dead and many injured.  A second attack erupted Wednesday, March 2, when an unidentified group opened...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1069&q=1&s=3 Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:24:33 +0500 CyberDissidents.org is delighted to announce that famed Egyptian blogger, Maikel Nabil Sanad, recently released from nearly a year in prison, will join our blogger board. Sanad was born in Assiut, Egypt on October 1, 1985. In 2006 Sanad began writing political commentary online and since has published over 1,000 blog posts and over 200 online articles.  He has also recently been published in The Wall Street Journal and Newsweek/The Daily Beast. In April 2009, Sanad founded a political...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1059&q=1&s=3 Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:53:53 +0500 The following article appeared in Arabic Sky News on March 16, 2012. To view the original interview in Arabic, click here: In the last week of January 2011, the U.S. Secretary of State declared that the Egyptian government seemed stable. This pronouncement aroused the anger of human rights activist David Keyes. When asked his opinion by a journalist, he answered ?Tell the Secretary of State she should stop talking about the Egyptian government´s ?stability.??  A few days For over a year,...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1051&q=1&s=3 Wed, 21 Mar 2012 08:02:12 +0500 The Following article first appeared on The Wall Street Journal. To access, click HERE   Last November, three months into my 130-day hunger strike in Egyptian prison, I was called into the office of a senior general in the military court. I was led there in handcuffs and my coarse blue prison uniform. As I sat, the general leaned back in his big chair, stared directly into my eyes and smiled. "Last week, I met with some American generals in the Pentagon," he said. His message was...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1042&q=1&s=3 Tue, 06 Mar 2012 11:12:22 +0500 BAHRAIN Bahrain?s Ambassador to the U.S., Houda Nonoo, provoked anger among activists after commending the the peaceful coexistence of Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus and Baha`i in the Gulf Kingdom. Regarding last year?s events, the ambassador said: ?Bahrain?s government is committed to reform, and to implementing progressive policies that will help achieve reconciliation for all Bahrainis?. At least 60 people have been reported killed since the uprising began last...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1036&q=1&s=3 Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:30:23 +0500 The following article first appeared in The Huffington Post. To access the original, please click here. Twenty year-old Syrian activist, Hadeel Kouki, was beaten at her apartment yesterday by three men shortly after she received a piece of paper signed by Bashad Assad's thugs in Cairo. According to the medical report, signed by the doctor who examined her, she had bruises and wounds on her legs, arms, back, and face. The police did not manage to find the aggressors yet, but according to Hadeel,...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1031&q=1&s=3 Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:09:17 +0500   CyberDissidents.org's Ahed Al Hendi attended an event by CNN Dialogues called "The Arab 'Spring': A Path to Democracy?" The following article was published by Emory University, who hosted the event. For the entire article click here. To view CNN Dialogue's Facbook page, click here.   CNN Dialogues, a colloquium devoted to addressing major domestic and international issues, held its fourth event at Glenn Memorial Auditorium on Feb. 9 titled "The 'Arab Spring': A Path to...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1021&q=1&s=3 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:38:01 +0500 On November 22, 2011, authorities from the Hamas-run Internal Security Apparatus in Gaza arrested Ziad Awad, a journalist from independent Palestinian news agency, Aswar Press Agency - allegedly for reporting on Palestinian factions who oppose Hamas. Despite repeated appeals for Ziad?s release, the Ismail Haniyeh government showed no sign of releasing him from jail as of January 2012. Ziad is well known for his work as an independent journalist in Gaza. In addition to Ziad?s contributions to...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1017&q=1&s=3 Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:33:31 +0500 CNN Dialouges: The Arab ?Spring?: A Path to Democracy? A singular protest by a Tunisian street vendor ignited rebellion, resistance and regime change that spurred a tumultuous year across the Arab world. Now, armed with new media, fresh and vibrant voices are emerging all across the region to challenge old political control and some cultural traditions. What is often called the ?cradle of civilization? is in a state of change. Is this truly an Arab Spring? Revolutions can be hijacked,...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1012&q=1&s=3 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:38:12 +0500 Egyptian dissident Maikel Nabil held his first press conference on January 28, three days after his release from prison. Undeterred by his imprisonment, Nabil stood by his initial critique of SCAF that led to his arrest, and he recounted his experience behind bars. He stated that he was forced to watch some of his fellow inmates being tortured and related details of his solitary confinement cell which was three square meters with one light that flickered on and off every minute. He also...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1009&q=1&s=3 Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:54:52 +0500   The first statement after his release 2012/1/24. Maikel Nabil Sanad the first political prisoner of conscience after 25 January 2011, the pacifist conscientious objector and the founder of No to Compulsory Military Recruitment Movement https://www.facebook.com/FreeMaikelNabil http://twitter.com/freeMaikel http://www.freemaikel.com http://maikel-nabil-in-jail.blogspot.com http://www.maikelnabil.com ]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=1007&q=1&s=3 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:15:46 +0500 Irwin Cotler, Canadian Parliamentarian and International Legal Council to Maikel Nabil, Congratulates the Blogger on his Release: We are delighted that Maikel Nabil Sanad has been freed and is returning to his family and friends. It is only appropriate that one of the original voices and hope of the Tahrir Square Revolution should be liberated on its first anniversary. Let us hope that this will be followed by the freeing of all others who have been unjustly imprisoned, and that this will mark...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=999&q=1&s=3 Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:06:10 +0500 Canadian MP and CyberDissidents.org board member, Irwin Cotler, went on CBC Radio's "The Current" on 9/12/12 to discuss the case of imprisoned blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad whom he represents internationally. CyberDissidents.org together with other activists and bloggers, such as the #FreeMaikel campaign, seek the release of Maikel Nabil and all other peaceful activists who are in jail for free expression.  ]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=994&q=1&s=3 Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:30:02 +0500 Amidst Egyptian elections, CyberDissidents.org caught up with Dalia Ziada, a young Egyptian blogger, activist and parliamentary candidate in the El-Adl (Justice) Party. Ranked third in a recent survey, the Justice Party is mostly comprised of young activists who participated in the revolution, Dalia among them, and places women in advanced positions on their party lists. Dalia says her party is trying to find the balance between the extremists, Islamists, and the former members of Mubarak?s...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=991&q=1&s=3 Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:59:50 +0500 The following article was published on January 9th. To view the original, click here. CAIRO " A prominent Christian Egyptian media mogul faces trial on a charge of insulting Islam, lawyers said Monday, based on his relaying a cartoon on his Twitter account. The case dates back to June, when Naguib Sawiris posted a cartoon showing a bearded Mickey Mouse and veiled Minnie. He made a public apology after Islamists complained, but his action set off a boycott of his telecom company and other...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=985&q=1&s=3 Fri, 06 Jan 2012 08:38:51 +0500 To view the original article, click here.   Irwin Cotler and Maikel Nabil Sanad have never met. They are two very different men in two very different situations. Cotler is an international legal scholar, distinguished member of Canada's parliament, and once served as Minister of Justice. Sanad is a young Egyptian blogger who at this very moment is waging a four-month-long hunger strike in the depths of the Elmarg prison in Cairo....]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=979&q=1&s=3 Thu, 29 Dec 2011 10:09:39 +0500 The following article first appeared in Washington Post. To access it, please click HERE.   Egyptian soldiers and police stormed non-governmental organization offices throughout the country on Thursday, banning employees inside from leaving while they interrogated them and searched through computer files, an activist and security official said. Egyptian state television reported at least 18 offices were targeted in the raid. In Cairo, an Egyptian court acquitted five policemen of charges...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=974&q=1&s=3 Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:20:57 +0500 To view the original blog posted below, click here. 12/20/2011 Prison had never changed an idea... Subduing an idea had never delayed tomorrow. Militarists sentenced me last Wednesday to 2 years in prison (as if I?ll live all that period on a hunger strike)? They also fined me with 200 Egyptian pounds, I won?t pay it off because I don?t recognize this ruling from the first place and I won?t contribute in funding the occupying army of Tantawi? They also fined me with 300 Egyptian...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=973&q=1&s=3 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:49:03 +0500 To view the original, click here. This week I engaged in a public dialogue with former celebrated Soviet dissident and human rights advocate Natan Sharansky, whom I had the privilege of representing during his nine-year imprisonment in the Soviet Union on trumped-up charges of sedition and "anti-Soviet slander and agitation." Sharansky had just come from New York where he received the distinguished Scholar-Statesman Award -- together with former Egyptian political prisoner Saad Eddin...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=970&q=1&s=3 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:42:34 +0500 The following first appeared in Bikyamasr. To access the original, click HERE. The small group of supporters waited impatiently in front of the military court in Cairo, hoping for good news for jailed Egyptian blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad. They were disappointed, however, as a military court only reduced his three-year sentence from earlier this year, to two-years. After weeks of postponements and jockeying by the court, Nabil?s hunger strike and refusal to be tried in a military court were to no...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=956&q=1&s=3 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:09:50 +0500 The following article appeared in The Washington Post on December 6th. To view the original, click here. On a rainy November morning in Northern Virginia, at a cafe where elderly women are meeting for pastries, Andrew Lewis is hacking into one of the most tightly controlled police states in the Middle East. ?The more you know, the more you can help,? he murmurs, as his scan of Syria?s cyberspace throws up lists of servers. His 6-foot-6-inch frame hunched over his laptop, Lewis skims the codes...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=949&q=1&s=3 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:08:34 +0500 While most Western countries have applauded the election in Egypt, Kareem Amer, the famed Egyptian dissident, refused to recognize the election or participate in it. In an interview with CyberDissidents.org Amer said,  "I don't care if any Western country welcomes the election, I live in Egypt and I know how people here think." When asked why he did not vote despite years of sacrifice to liberate Egypt from the Mubarak dictatorship, Amer said he did his part when he was jailed...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=946&q=1&s=3 Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:30:53 +0500 A YouTube video has gone viral supposedly showing the young Egyptian blogger, Aliaa Elmahdy, being beaten in Tahrir Square.  CyberDissidents.org spoke to Aliaa yesterday and she confirmed that, in fact, she is not the woman in the video being beaten. Aliaa is currently in hiding after having gotten thousands of death threats following a nude picture she posted of her self on her blog.  On the eve of Egyptian elections, we asked Aliaa about her situation. CyberDissidents.org: You've...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=943&q=1&s=3 Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:08:36 +0500 To view the original article as it appeared on CBS World News, click here. CAIRO (AP) - A prominent Egyptian-born U.S. columnist said local police sexually assaulted, beat and blindfolded her after she was detained Thursday near Tahrir Square during clashes, leaving her left arm and right hand broken and in casts. Mona Eltahawy, 44, lives in New York and is a prominent women's rights defender, a lecturer on the role of social media in the Arab world and a former Reuters journalist....]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=944&q=1&s=3 Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:07:45 +0500 An appeal has been made in the House of Commons for the liberation of the Egyptian journalist Maikel Nabil who has been on hunger strike for three months in Cairo in protest against the continuing oppression of bloggers and writers seeking to comment openly on the political movements in Egypt, Nabil is a Christian Copt and moreover a supporter of maintaining good relations between Egypt and Israel.  Former Europe Minister Denis MacShane raised the case of Nabil in the House of Commons and...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=936&q=1&s=3 Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:20:36 +0500 A new documentary project intends to tell the story of the Egyptian Revolution through the eyes of those who were part of this historic event from January 25th to February 11th. It was through tweets, texts, photos, emails, and videos that the world stayed informed of the uprising, and initiate hopes to portray the ?pulse? of the movement, minute by minute. The project will be led by documentary filmmakers Jigar Mehta and Alaa Dajani, who call their filmmaking technique of compiling the...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=937&q=1&s=3 Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:15:22 +0500 A collation of Shariah law graduates notified the general prosecutor in Egypt about the supposed Islamic law violations of Kareem Amer and his girlfriend, Alia Mahdi. They recommended a death sentence for Amer for publicly pronouncing that he is an atheist and for refusing to condemn his girlfriend, Mahdi, for posting a nude picture of herself on her personal blog. The collation also suggested a death sentence for Mahdi. A Facebook group has joined in the call for Mahdi's execution.  The...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=938&q=1&s=3 Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:11:54 +0500 To view the original, click here. CAIRO: Canada?s liberal justice critic Irwin Cotler and a number of other MPs in the country have called for the Egyptian ruling military to free jailed blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad. The statements on Thursday come as Nabil entered his 87th day of a hunger strike in protest against the military trials implemented by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) in Egypt. The 26-year-old blogger, a Coptic Christian who has largely angered activists for his calls...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=933&q=1&s=3 Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:41:02 +0500 To view the original article, click here. Canadian MPs Call for Release of Egyption Blogger    Liberal justice critic Irwin Cotler issued a call for support for Egyptian blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad on Thursday, saying the political activist's life is hanging by thread. (Matthew Little/The Epoch Times). PARLIAMENT HILL Maikel Nabil Sanad was a guiding light in the Arab Spring, a political activist and blogger with a history of challenging the Egyptian authorities. Now in an...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=931&q=1&s=3 Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:56:26 +0500 PRESS CONFERENCE ADVISORY  MP?s From All Parties Call for the Immediate Release of Egyptian Blogger and Political prisoner Maikel Nabil  Nabil on 86th day of Hunger Strike. Professor Cotler, Nabil?s international legal counsel, says, ?his life is hanging by a thread?   (Ottawa - November 16, 2011) The media is invited to an all-party press conference regarding 26-year old Egyptian blogger Maikel Nabil one of the early leaders in the Tahrir Square Revolution and the launch of...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=929&q=1&s=3 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:52:56 +0500 Irwin Cotler, renowned international human rights lawyer and board member of Advancing Human Rights and CyberDissidents.org, asked the Canadian government to seek the release of Egyptian blogger and activist Maikel Nabil at a Parliamentary debate on October 28, 2011. In response to Cotler?s request, the Minister of State of Foreign Affairs, Diane Ablonczy, applauded Cotler?s efforts and said Maikel Nabil?s release is ?a very high priority? for the Canadian government. Mr. Cotler is a current...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=927&q=1&s=3 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:58:10 +0500 A young Egyptian couple, Alia Mahdi and Kareem Amer, are not only challenging the Egyptian military strategy, but also challenging social conservatism in their country. Kareem Amer is an Egyptian blogger who spent years in an Egyptian prison for criticizing ousted dictator Hosni Mubarak, and for insulting Islam by publicly declaring himself an atheist.  Alia, Kareem's girlfriend, is also an Egyptian blogger who recently fomented one of the biggest scandals on the Egyptian blogosphere when...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=925&q=1&s=3 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 08:18:03 +0500 Egyptian liberal blogger Mahmoud Farouk and his colleagues on the Egyptian Union of Liberal Youth (EULY) blog discussed the meaning of democracy, according to several Egyptian political movements. ?? ???????? ????????? ??? ?? ??? ???????? ?? ???? ?? ??? ????? ??? ??????? ??????? ?????? ??? ???? ??? ?? ????? ???? ??? ???? ??????? ???????? ??? ??? ????? ???? ??? ???? ???? ????? ?????.? The Islamic movements believe that the majority of people in Egypt should establish rules on everything relating...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=922&q=1&s=3 Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:00:26 +0500 The prominent Egyptian blogger and activist Alaa Abd El Fattah is the latest cyber-dissident to be detained by the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF). On Sunday, October 31st, the military council summoned the activist for investigation in connection with the October 9th Maspero protests and massacre. Abd El Fattah refused to answer questions because he, like the majority of Egyptian activists, strongly opposes civilian trials before military courts. As a result, the military council...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=914&q=1&s=3 Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:54:58 +0500 The following was posted in the Boston Review on November 3, 2011.  To view the original, click here. An Interview with the Administrators of the Facebook Page that Fueled the Egyptian Revolution Anver M. Emon, Ellen Lust, and Audrey Macklin Editors? note: On June 6, 2010 a 28-year-old Egyptian named Khaled Mohamed Said was beaten to death by Egyptian police while in custody. Four days later the ?We are all Khaled Said? Facebook campaign was launched, fueling a public outcry that...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=913&q=1&s=3 Fri, 04 Nov 2011 12:07:57 +0500 On October 31st, Syrian activists released a video on YouTube that shows a loudspeaker emitting anti-Assad songs in the Syrian Treasury Department building in downtown Damascus. One of the songs that was blasted from the speakers is that of acclaimed protest singer, Ibrahim Kashoush, who has become a important voice in protests throughout Syria after singing with masses of protesters in the city of Hama earlier this year. Assad's forces killed Kashoush in July of this year; they slit his vocal...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=915&q=1&s=3 Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:18:00 +0500 Bahrain    Riot police in Bahrain brutally beat 70 year-old Ali Hussein Al Dihi while he was on his way home. Activists on Twitter and other social networks have called for a mass funeral for Dihi before 8:00 AM tomorrow. Dihi?s picture was posted on Facebook and Twitter to show support for his family on Wednesday, when Diti passed away at A Naim Medical Center.  Syrian online activists wrote:    ???? ???? ???? ??? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ??????? ????? ???...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=909&q=1&s=3 Thu, 03 Nov 2011 07:10:08 +0500 On October 22nd, Egyptian blogger Youssef Ayman Mansour was sentenced to three years in prison for posting comments on his Facebook page, which the Egyptian judicial system considered anti-Islamic.  He was accused of encouraging sectarian conflict by making fun of Islam. Some Egyptians openly agree with the sentence because of their views on blaspheming Islam, while others feel that Mansour should have the right to express his views without imprisonment.   In Egypt, incitement against...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=906&q=1&s=3 Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:44:57 +0500 On Wednesday, October 26th, a video surfaced showing a crowd of Egyptian activists demonstrating in front of Abbasseya Mental Hospital in Cairo. The crowd was protesting the investigation of a doctor who publicly condemned the transfer of imprisoned blogger Maikel Nabil to the mental hospital. The protesters chanted: ?The hospital is for the tired and sick, not a game in the hands of prison guards!" A few weeks ago, the Military Council ordered the transfer of Maikel Nabil to the mental...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=899&q=1&s=3 Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:21:52 +0500 Iran Muammar Gaddafi?s death sparked hope and happiness among Iranians. Ali Hamedani, Iranian reporter, updated his Facebook status, simply asking: ?Who?s next?? Ehsan Norouzi, another journalist said: ?After governing for 40 years, he was trampled to death in his own town. God willing, soon Asad [Syria?s president] and Seyed Ali [Khamenei, Iran?s leader] will have the same fate.? ??? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ?????? ???? ??? ???????? ???? ?? ? ????? ??. ?????? ???? ??? ? ?????? ?? ??? ????? #?????...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=894&q=1&s=3 Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:40:34 +0500 Despite the fact that he is in prison, Maikel Nabil continues to criticize Egypt?s military government.  The following article by Nabil was recently leaked from prison and published online by his supporters: I was greatly saddened when I read about the victims that were shot and killed by the military in Maspero last week. I was further saddened to learn that the military has been chasing the leaders of our movement, including my brother and Sahar Maher, whose lives were both...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=890&q=1&s=3 Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:39:15 +0500 Despite the ousting of Mubarak, tyranny continues to plague the Egyptian people. On Sunday October 9th, approximately 26 Egyptian Coptic Christian protesters were killed by the Egyptian army. The demonstration took place in Maspero, which is located in downtown Cairo.  Demonstrators called for equal rights in Egypt and condemned the recent attack on a church in Aswan.  Many protesters were struck down by military vehicles and others were shot by the Egyption army. Reports vary on the...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=887&q=1&s=3 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:07:51 +0500 The following article appeared in the Daily Beast on October 10, 2011.  Click here view the original. Egypt's Arab Spring has led not to democracy "but to another cruel dictatorship, says Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer. The military is killing minorities and imprisoning dissidents. Egyptians must take to the streets once again. The scene in Egypt looks grim. More than eight months have passed since Jan. 25, when the sparks of revolution finally brought Hosni Mubarak?s 30-year rule to an...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=883&q=1&s=3 Mon, 10 Oct 2011 07:34:54 +0500 Saudi Arabia: Protests broke out in the Saudi Arabian town of Awamia in the Qataif province over the arrest of two elderly citizens. The authorities detained the senior citizens, not because of any crime they committed, but because they were the parents of a fugitive. One Saudi posted this video of the incident, showing the protest with audio of gunshots in the background. Reportedly, Saudi authorities opened fire on the protesters. Saudi bloggers continue to protest the crackdown in Saudi...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=878&q=1&s=3 Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:13:46 +0500 CyberDissidents.org has learned that Sahar Maher was arrested on October 4th.  According to Maged Gabra... "....Sahar Maher (a 22 year old political activist) was arrested last Tuesday when she was among a group protesting in front of the military court that examined the appeal for Maikel Nabil's case. An army officer arrested her on the ridiculous charges of photographing a military area and demonstrating illegally (which is the same charge the activists received in the days of...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=882&q=1&s=3 Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:48:22 +0500 Egyptian blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad is currently serving a three-year sentence in an Egyptian prison for having the courage to criticize the military regime" or as the Cairo military court has suggested for "insulting the army." His unfair treatment and imprisonment has drawn attention from international audiences, including two prominent members of Congress, after Sanad sent a letter through CyberDissidents.org to the U.S. Congress and Senate pleading his case.   Senator...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=881&q=1&s=3 Fri, 07 Oct 2011 09:18:40 +0500 ]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=866&q=1&s=3 Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:53:39 +0500 Iran Following the release of two American hikers in Iran, Niusha Boghrati, asked on Facebook: ?If they were not spies, why did you give them eight years in prison? And, if they were spies, how dare you to release them? It just doesn?t work well together.? Saudi Arabia While Saudi women were granted the right to vote in municipal elections in 2015, a woman was sentenced to 10 lashes for defying the country?s ban on women driving two days later.  Reports surfaced of this sentence having...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=843&q=1&s=3 Wed, 07 Sep 2011 11:10:19 +0500 Formerly imprisoned blogger, Kareem Amer, has put out a passionate plea about his friend Maikel Nabil Sanad who is currently in Egyptian prison for insulting the military.  Those concerned about Egypt's future should begin by rallying for the immediate release of this young blogger.  Freedom of expression is not a crime.  Transcript of video message: For the past two weeks, Maikel Nabil, held in prison for expressing his opinion, has been on a water, food, and medicine...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=836&q=1&s=3 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 07:18:27 +0500 Famous Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer, who spent time in jail for criticizing Islam and ex-dictator Hosni Mubarak, posted two pictures of himself to document his radical transformation from a dedicated Salafi to one of the most liberal voices in Egypt. Amer explains the significance of the pictures: ?????? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ??? ????? ?????? : ?????? ?????? ????? ?? ??? ????? ?? ?????? ??????? ????? ... ???????? .. ??? ?? ????? ?? ???? ?????????????? ????? ??? ????? ???? ??? ???...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=830&q=1&s=3 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 21:07:46 +0500 CyberDissidents.org recently received news that Maikel Nabil, imprisoned for criticizing Egypt's military in a blog post, has escalated his hunger strike to a thirst strike. In his last statement, Nabil wrote that the thirst strike will "continue until death or until [he is] set free." CyberDissidents.org calls on the Military Justice Administration to immediately release Nabil.  Below is Nabil's statement, written on Tuesday, August 23rd:   ?The oppressed is more...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=825&q=1&s=3 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 07:26:52 +0500 The following first appeared on MidEast Youth. To Access the original, click here.  Maikel Nabil has begun today a hunger strike in his cell in Marg Prison, north-east Cairo. Maikel Nabil Sanad, an Egyptian blogger, and both MEYEnglish and MEYArabic member, was arrested on the night of Monday 28th March 2011 from his home in north Cairo, by the military police, for allegedly defaming the armed forces. Thirteen days later, and after a Kafkaesque military trial...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=822&q=1&s=3 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:21:04 +0500 ]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=820&q=1&s=3 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:19:47 +0500 Asmaa Mahfouz, one of the most prominent online activists in the Egyptian uprising, was one of many citizens arrested for crimes like ?insulting? or ?slandering? the military. Her fame and popularity in Egypt caused many people to speak up on her behalf, both inside and outside the country. Several days after she was arrested and questioned, the charges alleging that she used her Facebook and Twitter accounts as tools of subversion were dropped, along with similar charges against another...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=809&q=1&s=3 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 08:36:16 +0500 The following is a post from the blog Egyptian Chronicles. To read the original, click here. You probably know Asmaa Mahfouz , famous activist and former was summoned to the military prosecution today to find herself facing charges, dangerous charges for real: Inciting violence against the military and insulting the members of SCAF. These dangerous accusations was based on status on Facebook and twitter and a phone call in TV show. After interrogation Asmaa was bailed out for LE...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=808&q=1&s=3 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:19:24 +0500 The trial of ousted Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak resumed today after a week and a half long hiatus. The big news coming from the trial was not the judge?s decision - postponing the trial until September 5 in order to give lawyers on both sides time to review the documents that were submitted - but that TV cameras were ordered out of the courtroom until the conclusion of the case. The decision was made by presiding judge Ahmed Refaat, who deemed the courtroom unmanageable. Over 150 lawyers...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=805&q=1&s=3 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 12:29:36 +0500 Anonymous, a group responsible for hacking numerous government and company websites in recent months, has allegedly declared war on the Egyptian military. In a YouTube video, Anonymous accused the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) of fighting against the April 6 opposition movement.   A robotic voice narrating the video promises to fight SCAF ?as we fought the Mubarak regime.? While one could dismiss the video, which is poorly made and only has about 2,400 views on YouTube, a...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=790&q=1&s=3 Fri, 05 Aug 2011 11:39:47 +0500 Hosni Mubarak?s trial has gotten attention from millions of people around the world. Though it?s a story closest to Egyptians? hearts, the outcome of the trial will affect even those countries in the region that have not seen major protests in recent months. Like Iran. Though Farsi news agencies such as BBC, VOA, and Radio Farda covered the event in detail, people helped spread the news by posting pictures of former Egyptian president and his children in a cage. Iranian netizens? opinions and...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=788&q=1&s=3 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 07:14:19 +0500 Deposed President Hosni Mubarak?s trial began Wednesday, along with the trials of his sons, Alaa and Gamal, former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly, and several high-ranking police officers. Mubarak is accused of conspiring to kill protesters - a charge that may result in the death penalty - as well as profiteering and other civil claims brought forth by families of people killed during the revolution earlier this year. The Mubaraks? trial will resume on August 15. Adly reported back to court on...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=776&q=1&s=3 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:53:09 +0500 Today, the first day of Ramadan, the Egyptian military violently broke up protests in Tahrir Square. People were beaten, arrested and pushed out of the square. Many of those gathered were family members of people killed during this year?s revolution. They gathered in the square to celebrate the first iftar, the breaking of the fast after sunset during Ramadan, together, as one man tweeted: @iyad_elbaghdadi: Families of the martyrs will be breaking their fast at #Tahrir. Others invited to join....]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=761&q=1&s=3 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:28:54 +0500 On Wednesday, Egypt?s military rulers lay down the first steps for the country?s upcoming parliamentary elections. Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) leaders have ordered a top judge to create an electoral commission and set a general time frame in which elections would occur sometime around November. Many are unsatisfied with the way SCAF has handled Egypt?s supposed transition from dictatorship to democracy.  Elections were originally slated for September but were pushed off for...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=760&q=1&s=3 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:41:48 +0500 CyberDissidents.org board member Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim recently appeared on Egyptian TV to warn of a military takeover of the Egyptian uprising.  "If there is a state of chaos, and the various parties are incapable of reaching an agreement, they will tell you that for the sake of the country's security and stability, and in order to defend the national soil and protect the country from danger, the [military] council has resolved to remain in power until the matter is...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=756&q=1&s=3 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:04:06 +0500 On Wednesday, July 13, Interior Minister of Egypt Mansour El-Eissawi announced a major reshuffle of military personnel and police. Bloggers like Hossam El Hamalawy have been criticizing these moves; El Hamalawy titled his blog post on the subject, ?MOI reshuffle: Another musical chairs game.? El Hamalawy is disgusted that many military officers who retired were not prosecuted for committing crimes during their time in office at the Interior Ministry. Additionally, he comments on several...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=754&q=1&s=3 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:02:14 +0500 Egyptians have been experiencing a newfound sense of freedom to express themselves in various ways since the revolution that brought about an end to Hosni Mubarak?s rule. New newspapers, blogs, and artistic and political movements have been created since the fall of the regime, all of which express how average Egyptians really feel about their lives. One blog that exemplifies this new freedom is Rolling Bulb, a blog of ?New Idea Journalism.? Rolling Bulb accepts quality art, design, societal...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=751&q=1&s=3 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 13:59:29 +0500 Prominent bloggers and tweeters in Egypt have decided to take the power of social media to a new level in an attempt to use the platform as a tool for fundraising. The Tweetback initiative, as it has been called, is asking people and corporations to make donations to specific NGOs and development projects based in Egypt. In return, the bloggers and Twitter users will announce the donations to their 250,000+ followers. The first fundraising event will take place on July 26, and the goal is to...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=749&q=1&s=3 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 14:41:51 +0500 The Egyptian Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) issued a statement on July 12th, warning citizens to stop any activity that would inhibit a return to regular life. Speaking on television, Lt. General Mohsen El-Fangary threatened those protesting in Tahrir Square and elsewhere.  He also warned of rumors and attempts to overthrow the military regime. Immediately, online activists took to their computers, setting up Facebook pages making fun of El-Fangary and his finger-wagging...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=740&q=1&s=3 Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:30:33 +0500 Egyptian activists are calling on the masses to gather on July 8th for what they are calling, "The Friday of Purifying and Punishment." This title refers to the regime members who committed crimes against protesters during the revolution, and calls upon the state to ?punish? those members and ?purify? the government by dismissing and trying such individuals.     The activists published a petition online directed towards "those who participated in the revolution,...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=737&q=1&s=3 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:33:48 +0500 The trial of two police officers accused of killing 28-year-old Khaled Saeed (also spelled ?Said?) was delayed until September 24th, to the dismay of many Egyptians. Saeed has been called ?The Face That Launched a Revolution,? after a leaked photo of his mangled corpse inspired blogger Wael Ghonim to create the Facebook group ?We are all Khaled Saeed,? which encouraged the public to protest the government?s brutal treatment of the young man. Judge Moussa al-Nahrawy decided to form a forensic...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=732&q=1&s=3 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 08:20:57 +0500 On June 21st, the movement against harassment of Egyptian women made its way to the social media world. For 24 hours, activists raised awareness about the mistreatment of women across Egypt and the Middle East through tweets and blog posts. The event was led by HarassMap, an organization that tracks harassment incidents throughout Egypt. The campaign caused an explosion of posts on Twitter with the hashtag #EndSH. Many simply posted comments of support and encouragement, while others like Nadia...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=729&q=1&s=3 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 09:52:23 +0500 The following was first published in The Daily Beast. To access the original, please click here. As soon as I read Senator Mark Kirk and Congressman Frank Wolf?s letter to General Tantawi, the military governor of Egypt, calling for my release from prison, I felt a great positive energy surge throughout me. It is something I have really needed in prison. I am very grateful for the efforts expressed by these American leaders and every other activist that has made an effort to secure my...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=709&q=1&s=3 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 09:49:01 +0500 CyberDissidents.org director David Keyes recently appeared on Russia Today to discuss the political situation in Egypt. Below is the video of his interview.   ]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=706&q=1&s=3 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 11:11:46 +0500 The following comes from Night and Day: The Spectator Arts Blog. To access the original, click here. Throughout the 18 days of protests, state media used old methods of deception to manipulate Egyptians. Their role is what eventually led a lot of tweeters to realizing that it was up to them to expose the truth, using citizen journalism as a method to report from the ground. When the internet was shut down, the move backfired on the government: it only convinced more people to join the uprising....]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=691&q=1&s=3 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 11:48:16 +0500 The Egyptian revolt began with the brutal beating and mutilation of 28-year-old Khaled Said, and protesters were united in their calls for an end to torture. But even though Hosni Mubarak is no more, torture remains prevalent in Egyptian prisons and police stations. In a blog post today, Mohammed Maree, a formerly-imprisoned Egyptian blogger, called for a protest in front of the Interior Ministry, urging his readers to speak out against continued incidents of torture in Interior...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=632&q=1&s=3 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 09:49:51 +0500   I was deeply disturbed when I heard of Maikel's sentence of 3 years in prison, his crime being: criticizing the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, and the acts of violent brutality committed by the military police and the officers of the military prison against activists arrested in Tahrir Square. The cause of my alarm was an empty feeling that there is nothing new under the sun. The same old practices from before the Revolution are taking place once again; only the faces have changed. A...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=625&q=1&s=3 Thu, 07 Apr 2011 14:02:43 +0500 In 2003, 46-year-old Egyptian journalist Reda Hilal mysteriously disappeared from his Cairo apartment. At the time it was assumed that he was arrested by the state security apparatus. No reliable information regarding Hilal has been made public since his disappearance, and despite the overthrow of the Mubarak regime, no information on Hilal?s status has been made available to the public. Hilal had been deputy chief editor for the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram, where he was well-known for his liberal,...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=616&q=1&s=3 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 20:34:08 +0500 A couple of days ago I was asked about the chances of liberal forces in Egypt after the referendum results. My response was negative. The young activists that are often described in the Western media as liberal, democratic, or secular stand no chance in the next parliamentary elections scheduled for next September. My judgment is not only based on the existence or lack thereof of those forces or their strength, but also on the nature of the electoral system in Egypt and the way in which the...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=582&q=1&s=3 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 13:06:15 +0500 CAIRO - As protesters in Tahrir Square faced off against pro-government forces, they drew a lesson from their counterparts in Tunisia: ?Advice to the youth of Egypt: Put vinegar or onion under your scarf for tear gas.? The exchange on Facebook was part of a remarkable two-year collaboration that has given birth to a new force in the Arab world - a pan-Arab youth movement dedicated to spreading democracy in a region without it. Young Egyptian and Tunisian activists...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=580&q=1&s=3 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 09:35:15 +0500 Facebook has become an important tool for democracy and human rights activists and it needs to do more to protect them, including allowing the use of pseudonyms, a US senator said Thursday. "Recent events in Egypt and Tunisia have again highlighted the significant costs and benefits of social networking technology like Facebook to democracy and human rights activists," Senator Dick Durbin said in a letter to Facebook co-founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. "I commend you...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=581&q=1&s=3 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 09:33:53 +0500 CBS News' Harry Smith reports on the latest events from Egypt, including an in-depth interview with Wael Ghonim. To watch the interview, please click the image below.]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=583&q=1&s=3 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 09:16:01 +0500 Filmmaker Ramy Rizkallah shot this footage minutes after Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman announced Hosni Mubarak's resignation. The video below documents the jubilation of Egyptian citizens who got their wish after more than two weeks of calling for Mubarak to step down.  Bye Bye Mubarak from Ramy Rizkallah on Vimeo.]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=577&q=1&s=3 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 09:37:22 +0500 If one man symbolizes the price of Egyptian tyranny, it is the young blogger Kareem Amer. He spent the last four years in an Egyptian prison for criticizing President Hosni Mubarak and "insulting" Islam on his website. Amer was released three months ago, but disappeared Sunday. I may have been the last Westerner to speak with Kareem, only hours before he went missing. "Mubarak has been in power for almost 30 years and this period was so miserable and so full...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=578&q=1&s=3 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 09:36:32 +0500 Famed Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer and his friend, filmmaker Samir Eshra, are now free after nearly a week in prison. In a phone call with CyberDissidents.org hours after they were released, Amer described the events surrounding his capture and confinement. On February 7, a group of thugs attempted to confiscate his friend's videotapes after they left Tahrir Square. The thugs handed the blogger and filmmaker over to military police for having violated the curfew. Amer spent one day in...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=579&q=1&s=3 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 09:36:07 +0500 Moments ago, Egypt?s dictator, Hosni Mubarak, stepped down after 30 years in power - following on the heels of Tunisia?s dictator who fled his country after ruling for 23 years. At this remarkable moment in Middle Eastern history, it is worth recalling what scholars, diplomats and pundits said in years past about stability in Egypt and Tunisia. This jog down memory lane is one of those delicious moments where the experts are yet again proved ignorant of the present and incapable of predicting...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=568&q=1&s=3 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 09:39:46 +0500 First published February 7, 2011 CyberDissidents.org has just received word that Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer, recently released after four years in prison, has disappeared.  Kareem is a member of CyberDissidents.org's blogger board and we are horrified at this news.  Last night around 11 pm Kareem left Tahrir square with a friend.  They were warned not to go through Kasr Elnil because of ambushes and arrests there.  It is not known if they used that exit, but Kareem and his...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=575&q=1&s=3 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 09:38:56 +0500 ]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=572&q=1&s=3 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 10:05:29 +0500 Egyptian blogger Mohammed Maree was arrested in 2008 for his participation in the Al Mahla uprising and spent 100 days in prison where he was subjected to extreme physical and psychological torture.  Yesterday, CyberDissidents.org spoke with Maree who told us about a protest today in Al Mahla in which thousands are expected to attend.   What is the latest in Al Mahla?  We are working hard and we all want the regime to go away. We have no police and no security in Al...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=571&q=1&s=3 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 09:40:43 +0500 It is Friday night on the 11th day of the biggest upheaval Egypt has ever witnessed in its modern history. It was labeled the "Day of Departure," meaning that this is the day when the large crowds of millions of Egyptians should have forced President Hosni Mubarak to step down. Millions of people showed up not only in Cairo but all over Egypt and called for Mubarak to give up his position immediately. Thousands of pro-Mubarak supporters showed up, too, and called for Mubarak to stay...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=569&q=1&s=3 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 12:42:56 +0500 ]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=566&q=1&s=3 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 09:48:48 +0500 Here is an excerpt from Egyptian blogger Sandmonkey's post, which appeared on his website last night. Today started with two very important facts: 1) The Mass resignation of important Mubarak regime figures from their posts in the Ruling National Democratic Party, including his longtime crony Safwat ElSherif and his own son Gamal Mubarak; 2) The number of people who called me asking what the next move for the Tahrir Protesters will be and were disappointed by the lack of a clear way...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org) http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=565&q=1&s=3 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 09:48:08 +0500 Torture, imprisonment, repression of dissent, murder, disappearances - as the Egyptian regime teeters, dissidents and bloggers look back on three decades of abuses. Pundits and politicians shout ?Better the devil you know!? as Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak?s regime nears collapse. Mubarak is hailed for not waging war on Israel, allowing some space for civil society, and permitting multi-candidate presidential elections. So why encourage his departure and risk the ascent of a theocratic,...]]> info@cyberdissidents.org (CyberDissidents.org)