US Embassy Cables: Wael Abbas Acquitted, Gamal Eid expresses Relief to USA

PROMINENT BLOGGER’S PRISON SENTENCE OVERTURNED

Ref ID: 10CAIRO229
Date: 2010-02-22 15:46
Origin: Embassy Cairo
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL

VZCZCXRO0531
RR RUEHROV
DE RUEHEG #0229 0531546
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 221546Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0356
INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 000229

SIPDIS
FOR NEA AND DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2035/02/22
TAGS: PGOV PHUM EG
SUBJECT: PROMINENT BLOGGER’S PRISON SENTENCE OVERTURNED

REF: 10 CAIRO 135; 10 CAIRO 99; 09 CAIRO 1447; 09 CAIRO 1263 CLASSIFIED BY: Stephen O’Dowd, Counselor, State, ECPO; REASON: 1.4(B), (D)

1.(C) On February 18, a Cairo appeals court acquitted prominent blogger Wael Abbas of committing property damage by allegedly damaging a neighbor’s internet line in April 2009, and overturned the six month prison sentence previously imposed against Abbas (ref A). Abbas expressed relief to us, and attributed the court’s decision to his lawyers’ successful strategy of providing documentation that he was in Vienna during the time of the alleged property damage. Abbas’ lawyers issued a public statement February 18 welcoming the court’s decision.

2.(C) Abbas’ lawyer Gamal Eid told us February 22 that the neighbor has filed another criminal complaint against Abbas related to “illegal use” of the internet line he shared with Abbas. Eid was not certain of the exact nature of the criminal complaint, but believed the neighbor whose brother is a police officer is again trying quietly to move the complaint through the judicial system without Abbas’ knowledge. (Note: Per ref A, Abbas and his lawyers told us they did not attend the November 2009 initial court session where the judge ruled against Abbas for allegedly damaging the internet line because they were not aware of the charge. End note.) Eid expected that the latest criminal complaint would also be baseless, and would not hold up in court.

-SCOBEY

Source: WikiLeaks