Mabrouk ya 3alaa! Mabrouk ya Manal!!
Here’s an AP report by Nadia Abou El-Magd on 3alaa’s release:
Egyptian blogger ordered released six weeks after arrest in pro-democracy protests
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) _ Alaa Abdel Fattah, an Egyptian blogger who was arrested during pro-democracy protests last month and continued to blog from his cell, was ordered released Tuesday, his wife and police said.The security prosecutor, who reviews detentions every 15 days, ordered his release. But Manal Hassan, his wife, told The Associated Press he’s not expected to be freed before Wednesday evening or Thursday because of paperwork.
Police officials confirmed the release order and that it might take up to two days to implement it. They spoke on condition of anonymity as they are not authorized to speak with the media.
Abdel-Fattah appeared Tuesday at the prosecutor’s office for the hearing. After the release order was issued, Hassan, 23, wrote on the blog: “It was the happiest time, and I was chanting ‘Down with (President) Hosni Mubarak,’ as Alaa was taken back from the prosecutors’ office to prison in a police van.”
Abdel Fattah and Hassan’s blog _ called Manalaa a combination of their first names _ has become one of the most popular pro-democracy voices in Egypt.
Abdel Fattah, 24, was arrested May 7 along with 10 other pro-democracy activists during a rally in front of a Cairo court in support of other detained activists. While in prison, he continued to post messages on the blog by sneaking out written notes.
Police arrested secular activists as well as hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood members in a crackdown launched during a wave of protests in April and May in support of two reformist judges who blew the whistle on alleged fraud during parliament elections last year.
Last month, a judiciary panel reprimanded one judge and cleared the other.
The Manalaa blog, launched two years ago and written in a mixture of English and Arabic, was awarded a 2005 best blog prize by Reporters Without Borders and German media Deutsche Welle.
A photo of Abdel Fattah, with his long, curly hair and scraggly beard, was posted on many Internet sites campaigning for his release. His hair was shaved off completely just after his arrest.
Fantastic news!
Great, great news. Now we need a different banner to get the other 47 freed.
[…] I received an SMS saying 3alaa was beaten up inside the notorious 3omraniya police station in Giza, where he’s currently locked up, pending his release, following an order by the State Security prosecutor two days ago. I spoke with his wife Manal. She says 3alaa was moved from Luman Tora prison to 3omraniya police station last night, for the ever-lasting bureaucratic paper work. 3alaa was locked up in a tiny cell, full of criminals, some of whom were high on drugs and others were armed with knives and sharp objects, Manal said. Scuffles have broken out inside the cell between the criminals, who reportedly hit 3alaa several times. 3alaa spent the night standing on his feet, coz there was no room for him to sleep in that filthy cell. According to Manal, he managed to call her on the mobile phone, and he sounded in a very bad state, desperate to get out. I called Ahmad Seif al-Islam, 3alaa’s father. He is still hopeful his son will be released in few hours. Some activists and 3alaa’s family are standing at the moment in front of the police station awaiting the blogger’s release. On hearing the news 3alaa was beaten up, other activists are now on their way to the police station to protest 3alaa’s maltreatement. […]