Forum Post: Free Alaa

The Tahrir crowd voiced their solidarity with us, let's return the favor to one of the brightest young voices for democracy of this generation, Alaa Abd El Fattah. If you followed #Jan25 at all, you know him.

https://www.accessnow.org/free-alaa

Here's the blurb from AccessNow:

Free Alaa

Off the plane from Silicon Valley and straight into Egyptian military prison. This is the fate of Alaa Abd El Fattah, one of the keynote speakers at RightsCon. Alaa, a high-profile activist, blogger and software developer, is now languishing in prison for refusing to answer questions from an illegitimate military tribunal on questionable charges of “incitement.” His crime? Demanding that civilians be tried by judges, not soldiers.

Alaa's case represents a far greater injustice - at least 12,000 Egyptian citizens have stood before a tribunal since the overthrow of Mubarak. This is a gross violation of international law and a far cry from the democracy Egyptians called for earlier this year.

Just last week, President Obama called for an end to the Egyptian state of emergency and to cease trying civilians in military tribunals. As Egypt's largest aid donor, the US has the power to demand that Egypt’s military rulers change course, release Alaa, and the other citizens detained or sentenced though such extraordinary courts.

Dear President Obama and the US Congress, We urge you to call on Egypt’s Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to immediately and unconditionally end emergency law and stop the military trial and deterntion of civilians, including Alaa Abd El Fattah.

We think we have problems.