Egyptian authorities harass, arrest then release blogger

The Egyptian authorities seem to be done harassing blogger Mohammed Adel, also known as "dead," after being subjected to more than a hundred days of kidnapping, detention and indictments, reports the Arabic Network of Human Rights Information (ANHRI).

Mohammed Adel was kidnapped in 30 Nov 2008 from downtown on the hands of the state security and was arrested in an unknown place for a month before ANHRI knew he was at the headquarters of the state security in Madinat Nasr then he was arrested for another month. He was charged with following a banned group "the Muslim Brotherhood"

Hoda Nasrallah, a lawyer with the legal aid unit in ANHRI, said in spite of the release decision, we will go on with the case against the minister of interior. The minister along with his aids kidnapped Adel and detained him in an illegal place. We will sue them until they learn to respect the law.

Mohammed Adel is the third person charged in the case fabricated by the state security against Dr Gamal Abdel Salam and Abdel Aziz Migahid who have been previously released.

ANHRI also reports that Adel is by no means the only blogger being harassed by the Egyptian authorities.

Rami al-Swisi, a member of the 6 April Youth Movement, was detained on 2 March for one day by security agents who raided his home in the middle of the night and seized his computer and mobile phone. His arrest came as the movement called for a national day of protest on 6 April, the anniversary of a general strike last year that deteriorated into violent clashes between police and workers.

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Last month, security men detained Egyptian-German activist Philip Rizk and blogger Diaa Eddin Gad, who expressed support for Palestinians in the recent conflict in the Gaza Strip. Rizk was freed after several days following an international outcry. Gad remains held in an unknown location.

According to ANHRI, "It is clear a lack of punishment of the police for the crime of kidnapping Philip Rizk and Diaa Eddin Gad on 6 February encouraged them to perpetrate the same crime for a third time in less than a month."