(AFP Photo)
By Rawan Ezzat
New Cairo Court on Monday sentenced activist Ahmed Douma to six months in jail for insulting President Morsi and describing him as a “killer” in televised comments. Douma was also ordered to pay bail of EGP 5000 to suspend the sentence, in addition to an EGP 200 fine.
Dozens of protestors, among them members of Egypt’s 6 April Youth Movement, Ahmed Harrara, Alaa Abdel-Fattah and other political activists gathered outside the New Cairo Court chanting for Douma’s freedom, with high security measures surrounding the courthouse.
Sherif Diab, activist and co-founder of the group Emsek F’lol (Snatch up the Old Regime), said that “a lot of people have gathered today … and we have faith that Douma will be freed”.
According to the Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), the number of lawsuits filed for insulting President Morsi has exceeded that of all previous Egyptian rulers, state-run Al Ahram reported.
During the last trial on 13 May in Tanta Court, Ahmed Douma was accused of insulting the president, which Douma denied, saying instead that he was “giving a [statement of] fact [formed by] a political opinion.”
Arguments escalated in the trial, with security refusing to allow attorneys to enter the courtroom. Douma’s supporters have meanwhile accused the government of random arrests to intimidate opponents.
On 31 May, Douma wrote from detention that ”Egyptians’ main mission on 30 June is to win, as liberals don’t accept failure,” and ended his piece expressing “all power to the people and all legitimacy to the revolution.”
