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U.S. condemns court decision on blogger in Egypt

15 Mar 2007 15:20:22 GMT
Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday condemned an Egyptian appeals court ruling that upheld a jail sentence for a blogger convicted of insulting Islam and President Hosni Mubarak.

"His conviction is a setback for human rights in Egypt," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.

Abdel-Karim Suleiman, 22, last month became the first Egyptian to be jailed for his writing on the Internet. His appeal of a four-year jail sentence was denied on Monday.

"We are deeply concerned by this conviction and sentence for expressing his opinions," said McCormack. "The role of freedom of expression is critical in a democratic and prosperous society."

The case involved eight articles in which Suleiman accused the conservative al-Azhar University of promoting extremist thought, described some companions of the Prophet Mohammad as terrorists and compared Mubarak to the dictatorial pharaohs of ancient Egypt.

Washington has criticized Cairo several times in recent months over its human rights record and crackdown on political dissent. Egypt is the largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid after Israel and Iraq, getting nearly $2 billion a year.

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Last updated:Thu Mar 15 15:23:46 2007