Salon.com > Alaa Abdel-Fattah http://www.salon.com Wed, 22 May 2013 00:22:48 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Egyptian blogger held in crackdown http://www.salon.com/2011/11/17/egyptian_blogger_held_in_u_s_backed_crackdown/ http://www.salon.com/2011/11/17/egyptian_blogger_held_in_u_s_backed_crackdown/#comments Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:17:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=10230736 CAIRO -- It took tens of thousands of Egyptians to upend the 31-year rule of Hosni Mubarak in the Arab world’s most populous country. Can a single dissident curb the authoritarian inclinations of Egypt’s current military rulers during what is supposed to be a democratic transition?

Alaa Abdel-Fattah, a blogger turned political activist, is trying to do just that, by challenging the military authorities’ right to prosecute civilians.

His case stems from controversy surrounding the terrifying breakup of a Coptic-Christian-led demonstration in Cairo on Oct. 9. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, or SCAF, which has run Egypt since Mubarak’s Feb. 11 ouster, put itself in charge of investigating the violence.

It quickly absolved its soldiers from any wrongdoing in the deaths of more than two dozen protesters, but has arrested Abdel-Fattah and about two dozen other civilians so far in connection with the incident. Authorities jailed Abdel-Fattah on Oct. 30 and charged him with incitement, damaging military property and stealing army weapons during the episode.

Continue Reading...

]]> http://www.salon.com/2011/11/17/egyptian_blogger_held_in_u_s_backed_crackdown/feed/ 14