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Ahmed Douma

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by IbrahimNemsi (talk | contribs) at 22:15, 26 December 2013 (→‎Political activism and arrests). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Ahmed Douma (born 11 September 1985) is a prominent Egyptian activist and blogger, who has famously been arrested under each consecutive Egyptian government in recent years.

Political activism and arrests

In February 2009, Ahmed Douma, then a student at Tanta University, was arrested at the border to the Gaza Strip, after he had entered it with a group of anti-war activists who wanted to express their solidarity with the Palestinian people. He was tried before a military court for illegally crossing the border and sentenced to one year in prison. During his transport to the prison and during interrogations there, he was tortured and threatened with the use of false confessions to obtain further convictions against him.[1]

In January 2012, he was detained and charged with inciting violence against the army and encouraging attecks on public property, following the Cabinet clashes in December 2011.[2] During these clashes, 12 people were killed and 815 were injured, when police and military forces cracked down on a sit-in outside the Cabinet office in Cairo, which was organised by activists protesting against the appointment of Kamal Ganzouri as prime minister by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.[3]

In April 2013, Ahmed Douma was arrested after calling President Morsi a killer and a criminal, and on 3 June he was convicted to six months in prison for insulting the president.[4] However, Douma appealed the verdict, and on 6 July another court ordered his release without bail.[5]

On 3 December 2013, Ahmed Douma was arrested at his home, following a protest organised by the No Military Trials for Civilians campaign in defiance of a new restrictive protest law, which was violently dispersed by the police.[6] On 22 December, he was sentenced, together with Ahmed Maher and Mohammed Adel, to three years in prison with hard labour and a fine of EGP 50,000 for his participation in protests illegal under the new protest law.[7]

The verdict was condemned by several Egyptian Human Rights organisations as well as by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton and the United Kingdom Foreign Office.[8] On 23 December, the Road of the Revolution Front organized a demonstration in Cairo in solidarity with the three activists.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Egypt: Ahmed Douma, student blogger, tortured during detention in Damanhour prison". Al Karama. 18 December 2009. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  2. ^ "Activist Abou Doma Denies Attacking Army, Allowed to Attend Exams". Jadaliyya. 13 January 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  3. ^ "Egyptians commemorate 2011 cabinet clashes". Daily News Egypt. 16 December 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  4. ^ "Activist Douma gets 6 months in prison for 'insulting president'". ahram online. 3 June 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  5. ^ "Egypt court orders release of activist Douma". ahram online. 6 July 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  6. ^ "Activists' arrests continue". Daily News Egypt. 3 December 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  7. ^ "In Blow to Leadership of '11 Revolt, Egypt Activists Are Given 3 Years in Prison". New York Times. 22 December 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  8. ^ "Activist sentencing draws domestic and international criticism". Daily News Egypt. 23 December 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  9. ^ "Hundreds rally in solidarity with Douma, Adel and Maher". ahram online. 23 December 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2013.

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