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Democracy? Egyptian Blogger Gets Three Years in Prison for Criticizing Military

Apr. 12, 2011 6:53am Emily Esfahani Smith

CAIRO (AP/THE BLAZE) — An Egyptian military tribunal has convicted a blogger of insulting the army after he publicized reports of abuses by the military, and sentenced him to three years in prison, human rights groups said Monday.

The military court issued the sentence against Maikel Nabil Sanad, 26, Sunday without the presence of his lawyers, according to a statement by seven Cairo-based rights groups. It was the harshest sentence against a blogger since 2004, when one was convicted of insulting the former president and offending Islam and sentenced to four years in prison.

It was the first trial of a blogger by Egypt’s military rulers, who took charge of the country after former president Hosni Mubarak was ousted by anti-government protests Feb. 11 after an 18-day popular uprising.

Rights lawyers say the sentence has wide implications for freedom of expression in post-Mubarak Egypt, and could set a precedent for anyone seeking to expose wrongdoing or abuses by the military.

A member of the military council, Maj. Gen. Mohammed al-Assar told an Egyptian private TV station, ONTV, Monday, the armed forces is open to criticism – up to a point.

“There is a difference between criticism with good intentions from a citizen, a journalist or a broadcaster, who mean the public good. There is no problem with that,” he said. “The problem is in questioning the intentions (of the army).”

Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said it was “shocked” by the three-year jail sentence, asking the authorities to review it and free him “without delay.”

The case against Sanad, who was arrested two weeks ago at his home, was based on a blog post titled “The people and the army were never hand in hand,” questioning the military’s continued allegiance to Mubarak; as well as Facebook postings reporting allegations of abuse.

In that blog post, Sanad wrote:

In fact the revolution has so far managed to get rid of the dictator but not of the dictatorship. A broad sector of Egyptian political Elite and rebels share this same vision with me. One of them is Dr. ElBaradei who mentioned in his article concerning the current situation in Egypt: “The army is leading the transitional phase in a mysterious and monopolizing way”. Many rebels continued to protest against the armed forces’ will calling for a civilian council instead of Supreme Council of the Armed forces.

As I participated in the revolution since day one, I’ve witnessed the majority of the events. In the following study I will present all the evidences and documents which prove that the army did not stand by the people’s side, not even once during this revolution and that the army’s conduct was deceptive all the time and that it was protecting its own interests. In order to simplify this study, I’ve divided the Egyptian revolution into three stages that describe the army’s position…”

“Maikel was posting on his blog news published by rights groups, and newspaper clippings” among other things, said Adel Ramadan, Sanad’s lawyer. “The danger extends to all bloggers, rights activists and journalists.”

Rights groups have criticized the new military rulers for arbitrary arrests and speedy trials for civilians, saying their activities were reminiscent of those of the former regime.

Ramadan said more than 10,000 civilians have been convicted and sentenced by military tribunals since the army took over two months ago.

Military trials are swift, do not follow the procedures and rules of evidence of civil courts.

Around a thousand protesters have now started a new sit-in at the country’s iconic Tahrir Square in Cairo demanding the resignation of the minister of defense and head of the army, Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi.

Heba Morayef, a researcher with Human Rights Watch, said Sanad’s case also shows that the military cannot be criticized.

“It sets the military up as an establishment beyond criticism and beyond being held accountable,” she said. “It sends exactly the wrong signal at a time when you are supposed to be transitioning away from abusive practices combined with official denial and failure to investigate.”

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Comments (49)

Zer0
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 12:48pm
“This is what democracy looks like!”

Remember, all those who want to “export” democracy, Adolf Hitler was elected in a democratic election.

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JUSTANOTHEROPINION
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 12:39pm
Hey, Iman Obama, how this Egypt thing you started working out for ya? You are a treasonist piece of trash!

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dadsrootbeer
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 12:09pm
So Jimmy Carter was wrong?…..I actually believed him there would be nothing to worry about in Egypt. Does that also mean that he will be wrong about the Muslim Brotherhood taking over the country? Seriously, does anybody believe anything that falls out of this man’s mouth. He has no creditibility being one of the worst presidents of all time.

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Jeweltoo
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 11:39am
This is a shame.

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ED4237
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 11:29am
Wow what a shock that the people aren’t as free as people here want you to belive in..The lefty want a big government like Egypt will get now only it was helped by the people so they feel vindicated in taking control. They weren’t all that free before but I think free enough to have thrown a little insult out there and not ended up in a prison. This all coming here soon letting in 80,000 Libyans why? Need someone to cause trouble here and it not be the lefty groups but thosae willing to do it like nuts from the mideast.

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Windsong
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 11:01am
When a group of people come to your country and urge you to have a ‘revolution’ to oust your current leadership, you need to wonder what this ‘friend’ has in mind for you and your country.

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RED-DAWN
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 10:35am
Well, it appears they have the “Speedy Trial” portion of our justice system figured out!

Now lets work on what a real crime is.

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The_Spatialist
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 10:03am
This is a perfect example of why many of our founding fathers were against any sort of standing army.

“A standing military force, with an overgrown Executive will not long be safe companions to liberty. The means of defence agst. foreign danger, have been always the instruments of tyranny at home. Among the Romans it was a standing maxim to excite a war, whenever a revolt was apprehended. Throughout all Europe, the armies kept up under the pretext of defending, have enslaved the people.” – James Madison

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graywolf11
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 9:28am
God bless him and his family. Prayers are with the people of Egypt, Muslim and Christian.

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geonj
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 9:01am
ah, the new democracy. our American left must be so proud.

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wampanoag
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 8:56am
Same as the 1954 revolution.A strongman will come out of the army and take control. Most of the civilian candidates like AlBaradei and Abu Mousa are certifiable psychopaths. Ruling Arabs democratically is like trying to tame and herd cats.

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parlayer
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 8:55am
Courtesy of obama.

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psst
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 8:52am
Ahh. Finally, now that Ol’ Hosni is gone, Egypt now have DE-Mock-risky.
What a guy. Barry Soetoro brunging democracy to the ME.
The crowning touch will be when he brungs real DE-Mock-risky to Israel.
Soetoro can hardly wait for that day.

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- paulusmaximus
  Posted on April 12, 2011 at 12:09pm
  Yep done gona make it all beater!!!
  
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parlayer
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 8:46am
Comming to America

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nptden
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 8:30am
Anybody notice Barry only wants to help ‘civilians’ who want to follow the Muslim Brotherhood ? Iranian and Syrian ‘civilians’ stay under the bus….People are starting to realize what side Barry and Hillary are on….notice Gates bailing out…don’t blame him, must be difficult to watch your military being set up. Time for our military to save ‘our country’.

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illuminoddy
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 8:08am
werent they just touting a democracy?

a military tribunal for offending a military commander seems more exactly like another madman regime

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An AmericanMom
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 8:03am
Guess that’s what democracy looks like….hope you guys like it…..sometimes the devil you know is better than the one hiding around under the words……Hope and Change!

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Psychosis
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 8:00am
this is what democracy looks like lol

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- mrlogan3
  Posted on April 12, 2011 at 3:14pm
  If I remember correctly, Republican Abraham Lincoln implemented a very similar policy during the American Civil War.
  
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Susie
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 7:58am
Oh well !!
Now that Reporters Without Borders is on the case we can all relax. That military will never be able to stand against the pressure. This little misunderstanding, over the curbing of free speech will be cleared up in a jiffy and our young blogger friend will be home by supper time. Right !
Hello mainstream media !!!!??????? Are we learning anything here ?????????

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SpankDaMonkey
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 7:52am
.
Well we are all going to jail then LMAO…….

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Gonzo
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 7:37am
Be careful what you riot for Egypt…you may just get it.

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- Marylou7
  Posted on April 12, 2011 at 9:28am
  Very wise statement.
  
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LadyIzShy
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 7:16am
look at them and see what is coming our way unless we can stop it now

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taskmaster78
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 7:14am
Further more, when we have those who are suppose to be in the know fail to recognize who the Muslim brotherhood are! it doesn’t leave much for the imagination on how incompetent these people who occupy the white house.

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BetsyRoss1
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 7:08am
Agreed!

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NickDeringer
Posted on April 12, 2011 at 6:58am
Don’t worry, gang, Obama is going to bring the same kind of “democracy” right here to the US.

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- Beckofile
  Posted on April 12, 2011 at 7:10am
  So Petreas says there are only 100 Alqaida in Afganistan. It’s because they all went to Libya where they actually have an air force to help them topple the dictator so they can intall an Islamist government. Glenn warned us that democracy would look a little different in Egypt since the left has changed the definition.
  
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- taskmaster78
  Posted on April 12, 2011 at 7:11am
  Don’t worry about a thing Libya will make this look like a democracy. This idiot and chief has chosen the wrong side on all issues.
  
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- Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
  Posted on April 12, 2011 at 7:14am
  @NickDeringer:
  
  Is it not so nice to see right in front of everything the difference between a ‘democracy’ and what is suppose to be a ‘republic’ (US here in America)?
  
  History itself is complete with too many examples of a ‘democracy’ descending into a totalitarian, a socialist/communist, or anarchic state of rulership.
  
  And yes, Obama intends to remake our great nation into the greatest nightmare imaginable if we do let it happen.
  
  Report this comment
- Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
  Posted on April 12, 2011 at 7:20am
  Most types of military trials in the Middle East, of which the blogger estimated some 10K have been held, usually follow the script of…
  
  “Sign confession or gun goes bang.”
  
  Report this comment
- joe conservative
  Posted on April 12, 2011 at 7:31am
  That’s what I’m afraid of Nick. Remember, Obama told us that we needed to satnd with the Egyptian people so they could have “basic human” rights. We’ve got to get this unqualified clown out od office in 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68uzsXdMLS4
  
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- grandmaof5
  Posted on April 12, 2011 at 8:03am
  How sad for the people of Egypt. No wonder they want Mubarak back now if this is their future – 10,000 people…..I guess we had better watch what we say on The Blaze as the Obama/Google police are probably watching. Very, very sad.
  
  Report this comment
- SANE_I think
  Posted on April 12, 2011 at 8:20am
  taskmaster78……NO, Obama is not on the wrong side. At least in his eye’s. He is following the plan exactly. This man is IMO setting up WWIII. The outcome in the middle east is clear and easy to see. Obama has helped them every step of the way. You say he is on the wrong side, he is, on our wrong side, hurting the USA with every move and every bill/law. Not one thing he has done has made America better or stronger. That my friend is by design and with malice. IMHO
  
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- MG-42
  Posted on April 12, 2011 at 9:40am
  No hell he’s not! Over my cold dead body!
  
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- jmmjr49er
  Posted on April 12, 2011 at 11:30am
  This is what Democracy looks like!
  
  Madison get ready for a party! Cairo, Madison, Tripoli and DC – All favorite party towns for The One – President Obama.
  
  Show me what Democracy looks like!
  
  Report this comment
- the_zazzy
  Posted on April 12, 2011 at 4:07pm
  Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Syria……enjoy your new “freedom.”
  
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