CAIRO: Detained blogger Maikel Nabil, who has been on hunger strike since Aug. 23, and is currently serving a three years prison sentence for criticizing the ruling military council, told his family in a visit that he misses the Mubarak days.
"Maikel told me that during Mubarak’s times, he used to openly criticize Mubarak and the vicious practices of the police and state security, and he was never interrogated or imprisoned," Nabil Sanad, Maikel’s father, said during a press conference at the Hisham Mubarak Law Center (HMLC) Tuesday.
"Now Maikel has been tried in front a military court and imprisoned for three years for exposing the ruling military council’s violations during and after the revolution," the father added.
Maikel, who is known for his controversial views regarding the state of Israel and other issues, wrote on his blog about what he calls the army’s conspiracy against the revolution, making torture allegations against the army in a post titled “The army and the people are not one hand.”
He was arrested from his home in Ain Shams last March and was referred to a military court days after his detention on charges of insulting the armed forces.
He has been on a hunger strike for 35 days.
"Maikel is on hunger strike against the discrimination practiced against him," said HMLC lawyer Maha Ma’moon, referring to cases of activists Asmaa Mahfouz and Loai Nagati who faced military prosecution and trial, respectively, for similar charges and were pardoned by the military council.
"Mafhouz was only interrogated by the military prosecution and was pardoned before being referred to a military court, unlike Maikel who faces deliberate intransigence by the military council," Ma’moon added.
The official Middle East News Agency (MENA) quoted earlier in September a military source as saying that Maikel was not tried for his opinion, but for insulting the armed forces and spreading false information.
The source described Maikel’s writing as slander and libel, condemning the blogger’s call for ending mandatory conscription.
The military source added that Maikel has the right to ask for setting an earlier date for his appeal against the court verdict which is set to be on Oct. 4, more than six months after his arrest.
"Attempts by the media to describe his blog post as an insult to the military institution are deliberate to harm the image of my son," Nabil added, saying that Maikel was tried for only gathering information about violations by the army that were already circulated online.
Maikel was previously detained by military intelligence on Feb.4 after holding a sign in Tahrir Square that said "We want a civilian state; not a religious and not a military one".
"He was tortured and beaten by military intelligence, and was asked why he doesn’t want a military state. Maikel answered that this is his opinion," Nabil said.
Mark Nabil, Maikel’s brother, said that his brother filed a complaint to the prosecutor general after Mubarak’s ouster against the torture and violations committed by the military intelligence against him.
"After filing this complaint, Maikel’s blog and Facebook accounts were monitored by intelligence. A couple of weeks later he wrote the blog post and was arrested," Mark added.
Spokesman of the Revolution Youth Coalition Moustafa Shawky praised Maikel’s courage in front of the military intelligence during the uprising.
"Along with many others, I was arrested by the military intelligence during the uprising, and I have to admit that Maikel was the most outspoken one of us," Shawky said.
"Maikel exposed a lot of people who support freedom of expression and declined to support someone with whom they disagree," Shawky said referring to human rights activists and groups that refused to support Maikel due to his controversial views regarding Israel.
Maikel’s family recounted the difficulties they faced trying to transfer their son to a hospital where he can be properly checked and treated.
"I filed complaints to the Prosecutor General, the military council, human rights organizations, the minister of interior, just to get my son out of the prison hospital that is unprepared for his case," Nabil said.
The family wants to refer their son to another hospital at their own expense until his appeal session in Oct.4.
HMLC executive director, lawyer Ahmed Ragheb, said that in Maikel’s case, the authorities are using the same practices of the Mubarak regime. “This is why we fear that a reproduction of Mubarak’s tools is in the making."
"It is the full responsibility of the government and the military council to take care of Maikel’s health during his hunger strike," Ragheb added.
John Milad, Maikel’s friend and founder of "Free Maikel Nabil" campaign, said that normal human beings can survive up to 40 days without food, and now Maikel is in the 35th day, the end is really approaching.
"I’m surprised that he survived till now," Milad added, after showing a documentary recounting Maikel’s ordeal.
"Maikel faced discrimination when he was tried by a military court for his opinion, when other activists were pardoned … He has been left to die," Nabil said.
