Kareem Amer

Kareem Nabil Suleiman Amer (Arabic: كريم نبيل سليمان عامر, IPA: [ʕæbdelkeˈɾiːm næˈbiːl seleˈmæːn ˈʕæːmeɾ, -kæˈɾiːm-]) (born c. 1984) is an Egyptian Norwegian blogger and former law student.

[1] He was the first blogger in Egypt explicitly arrested for the content of his writing, and was released on 17 November 2010,[2] but not before he was beaten and detained by Egyptian security forces.

He wished to complete a biology degree, but family pressure forced him to enroll in al-Azhar's Department of Shari'a and Legal Studies instead.

[5] Amer first came to the attention of Egyptian authorities after he published a series of blog writings highly critical of the Muslim role in the deadly sectarian riots in Alexandria in 2005, the result of a play performed at a Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria,[6] and the violent reaction of the Muslim community over the play's 'insult to Islam'.

[7] On 26 October 2005, Amer was arrested for the first time by Egyptian state security agency Amn al-Dawla for anti-religious posts on his blog.

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.

[16]Three Italian MPs, former Minister of Defence Antonio Martino, President of the 10th Permanent Commission (Productive Affairs, Trade and Tourism) Daniele Capezzone, and Senator Gaetano Quagliariello wrote letters to the Egyptian Ambassador to Italy Mohamed Farid Monib.

[17] Amnesty International designated Amer a prisoner of conscience, "imprisoned simply for exercising his right to freedom of expression".

[19] The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information called Amer's sentencing a "gloomy day for freedom of expression in Egypt" and also urged his release.

[20] PEN America made Amer one of its "highest priority cases", arguing that he was "jailed for exercising his inalienable human right to freedom of expression".

Two congressmen's co-signed letter to Egypt's Ambassador to the US.