CAIRO: Lawyers of imprisoned blogger Kareem Amer say they have been refused the right to visit him in prison for the third time.
The Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) “strongly condemned the “continuing transgressions committed by, and “arbitrariness of, state security officers in the Borg El-Arab Prison where Amer is incarcerated.
According to an ANHRI statement released on Monday, lawyer Ahmed Omar went to the Borg El-Arab Prison on Sunday armed with a permit allowing him to visit the blogger, issued by Alexandria’s Attorney General.
Once at Borg El-Arab, however, Omar was informed by a prison officer that state security “had banned visits to Amer indefinitely .
Amer was 22 when he was sentenced to three years imprisonment for insulting Islam and one for insulting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Rights groups regard him as a prisoner of conscience and there has been widespread condemnation of the first instance of Egypt jailing a blogger for his online writing.
ANHRI lawyers were previously prevented from visiting Amer in May and July 2009, and filed a complaint with Cairo’s Attorney General requesting an investigation.
“The complaint was transferred to the Borg El-Arab public prosecution office . but to date Borg El-Arab has not conducted any investigation into it. It has provided no explanation for this negligence, which raises doubts about . justice in Egypt, ANHRI says in the statement.
ANHRI holds the public prosecutor responsible for “these abuses and expresses fears about the safety of Amer who they say has been held in “complete isolation for eight months.
Amer’s final appeal against his imprisonment was rejected in November 2009. He is now not eligible for release until November of this year.
