Heads Up on Egyptian Blogger Alaa’s Arrest

Alaa Ahmed Seif El Islam, Egyptian blogger and founder of the Egyptian bloggers aggregator was detained on Sunday May 7, 2006 in front of Bab El Khaleq court in Cairo by an emergency law’s police force for trying to support another number of detained activists in a court session after their earlier detention in pro-reform protests meant to give support to Egyptian judges.

Alaa and some others who are considered witnesses to the case of the earlier batch of detainees who were also detained according to emergency law that was renewed this month wanted to attend the court session and peacefully show support.

Alaa is blogging from prison, yes he is check here. It is too late to silence free voices. We will keep shouting and screaming with you.

Reporters without Borders, press freedom organization, is responding to Alaa’s detention and expressing support. Alaa won RSF’s special award for best blog last year.

Earlier, Human Rights Watch condemned the detentions of peaceful protesters where Alaa was rounded up.

Hands Across the Mideast Support Alliance, Hamsa, is encouraging all free voices to sign a petition to free Alaa that will be sent to the Egyptian Ambassador in Washington, Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif, Egypt's Interior Minister Habib El Adly, US Ambassador to Egypt Francis Ricciardone and US Assistant Secretary of State David Welch.

Italian blogger and friend Stefania and other Italian bloggers are launching a campaign to release Alaa. They are starting by an appeal that Stefania posted on some websites, that will include the forum of Il Corriere della Sera, run by Magdi Allam. Stefania will send me the links, stay tuned and check her blog as well.

Egyptian protesters and Alaa get support of power blogger Gateway Pundit against the bloody attacks and random detentions of the Egyptian police.

Mary Joyce, editor of digital democracy for the developing world is asking everyone to google-bomb for Alaa meaning that bloggers link the word "Egypt" to the official Free Alaa blog (http://freealaa.blogspot.com/) in their posts, in order to move the Free Alaa blog up in the Google rankings. The goal is that when someone googles "Egypt," the first page they find is the Free Alaa blog. Examples are here, here and here.

Egyptian bloggers writing about Alaa's arrest in English are Sandmonkey and Mostafa.

Do not forget to check Manal’s, Alaa’s wife, blog posts during her family crisis after Alaa’s detention.

Finally, updates will be frequently posted on “Free Alaa” blog. Placing “Free Alaa’s banner” (in Arabic) is not also a bad idea.

Freedom for Egyptians and Alaa