Another setback for freedom of expression in Egypt

For the second time this year Egyptian authorities have arrested a blogger for openly criticizing human rights abuses. The story of Abd al-Monim Mahmud, the latest victim in the crackdown, is featured in this week's edition of The New Statesman reports.

Mahmud how ran a blog in English and Arabic was arrested last week on charges of belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood, a banned organization. However, like many others, Mahmud has always been open about his affiliation with the Brotherhood, and the article suggests that the real reason for his arrest was his “outspoken criticism of human rights abuses and his broad contacts with foreign journalists and secular pro-democracy activists.” A few weeks prior to his arrest, he spoke about torture in Egyptian prisons, which he himself experienced under imprisonment in 2003, at two international conferences.

For the full article, click here.