EGYPT: Pacifist blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad still in prison, although he received an official pardon

Imprisoned pacifist blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad who was sentenced to two years' imprisonment by a military court on 14 December 2011, for "insulting the People’s Assembly, the Shura Council or any State Authority, or the Army or the Courts", and article 102, "spreading false information", has received an official pardon by the Egyptian authorities. Almost 2000 other prisoners convicted by military courts in the last year were pardoned on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Egyptian Revolution.

Maikel was first sentenced to three years' imprisonment on 10 April 2011, by a military court in a trial all established legal standards, and in the absence of his family, friends, or lawyers. Since then he has been kept in El Marg prison.

On 23 August, Maikel Nabil Sanad began a hunger strike in protest against his imprisonment. In a statement at the beginning of his hunger strike, he declared that his hunger strike was in protest against the severe injustice he is subjected to, namely his unfair trial by a military court, the slow processing of his appeal, and the difference of treatment compared with other cases.

Although the pardons have been officially announced, Maikel Nabil still remains in Tura Mazraa prison in South Cairo. According to the prison authorities he won't be released before the 26 January 2012. According to state authorities, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi has ordered the release of Maikel and other prisoners, and Egyptian state media report that he is already free. However, Maikel's family claims that he is still in prison, and that no one has given them any concrete information on the date of his release.

WRI demands immediate release of Maikel Nabil Sanad from Tura Mazraa prison.

War Resisters' International calls for urgent letters of support to Maikel Nabil Sanad:

Maikel Nabil Sanad
Tura Mazraa Prison
South Cairo
Egypt

Letters to Maikel can also be sent via http://wri-irg.org/campaigns/supportmaikelnabil
War Resisters' International calls for urgent letters of protest to the Egyptian authorities.

Director of Military Judiciary
Major-General Ahmed Abd Allah
Military Judicial Department
Cairo, Egypt
Fax: +202 2 402 4468 / +202 2 411 3452 (ask for fax)

Military General Attorney
Major-General Medhat Radwan
Military Judicial Department
Cairo, Egypt
+202 2 412 0980 (ask for fax)

Minister of Defence
His Excellency Field Marshall Mohamed Hussein Tantawi
Ministry of Defence
Cairo, Egypt
mmc@afmic.gov.eg ; mod@afmic.gov.eg
Fax: +20 2 2 5748 822

A protest email can be sent at http://wri-irg.org/node/14350.
Archives of co-alert can be found at http://wri-irg.org/news/alerts

Andreas Speck
War Resisters' International