Egyptian blogger Karim el-Beheiri says he was tortured for weeks in prison following his arrest for protesting price hikes and salary cuts at a local factory.
Karim el-Beheiri was detained along with fellow protesters Tarek Amin and Kamal al-Fayoumy. The three mounted two hunger strikes and endured physical, verbal and electroshock abuse while behind bars. Karim el-Beheiri says they were denied medical care and that as a result their health had significantly deteriorated.
In May 2008 Karim el-Beheiri sent a public letter to leftist publications in Egypt, detailing their abuse and demanding just trial. He asserted, "We would like to know the reason why we remain in detention. We will continue the hunger strike until we either die or receive this information."
Karim el-Beheiri was ordered to be released April 16, 2008 but stayed behind bars until Sunday, June 1st.
Technology has been rocking Egypt lately by circumventing totalitarian measures. In April 2008 James Karl Buck saved himself from Egyptian prison by twittering that he had been arrested–prompting his friends and international rights organizations to demand his release.
Speaking to AFP about Egypt’s new aggression towards bloggers and Karim el-Beheiri quipped, "it’s the new fashion."
But Egypt’s human rights record is certainly no joke.