Egypt: Kareem Amer is Free

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.

Prominent Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer, also known as Abdulkareem Nabeel Sulaiman, has been set free, tweeps confirmed today.

Kareem, who was with independent film-maker Samir Eshra, were ‘kidnapped‘ by a group of thugs after leaving Tahrir Square on February 7. They were then handed over to military security for having violated the curfew imposed on Egypt, since the January 25 protests started. After spending a day in a local prison, they were sent to an army jail “in the middle of the desert” where they spent the last few days, seeing other prisoners being “water-boarded, beaten with sticks and electrocuted,” according to an interview with the blogger on The Daily Beast.

Kareem, who had spent four years in prison for an article he published on his blog, was released last November 15. His previous arrest and trial, for insulting Islam and president Hosni Mubarak, as well as his abuse in prison, drew international condemnation and supporters now fear he may have been arrested again.

His second arrest – and his consequent release, also drew a lot of solidarity and support online.
Here are some reactions after his release from Twitter today:

@waelabbas: urgent : blogger kareem amer and sameer eshra were released by army

@daliaziada: Good news: blogger Kareem Amer got released. I just spoke with him on phone #FindKareem #Egypt #Jan25

@weddady: Just got news that Kareem Amer was released. #Jan25

@Tom_El_Rumi: Kareem Amer: Army tortured prisoners, flogged, electrocuted, drowned them in cold water #aren #jan25 #tra @waelabbas http://curated.by/b/6M

@sarahbadr: torture in an egyptian prison — famed blogger kareem amer describes the brutality he witnessed while detained: http://is.gd/6aXNJa #jan25

@Newsman22: Kareem Amer, a famed blogger among Egypt's protesters, spent nearly a week in a prison for breaking curfew.

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.

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