Maher, 2012

Ahmed Maher (Arabic: أحمد ماهر  pronounced [ˈ(ʔ)æħmæd ˈmæːheɾ]; born 2 December 1980 in Alexandria, Egypt) is one of the co-founders of the April 6 Youth Movement, and a prominent participant in the Egyptian revolution of 2011 demonstrations in Egypt in 2011.[1] He is a civil engineer[2] who works for a construction firm in New Cairo.

Along with Asmaa Mahfouz, he founded the April 6 Youth Movement in Spring 2008.[3] Maher attempted to organize several demonstrations after April 2008.[4] However, his efforts were hindered both by interference from Egyptian security forces[5][6] and internal divisions within the April 6 movement. In June 2010, Maher helped organize a protest against the killing, by Egyptian police, of Khaled Said, a young resident of Alexandria. Maher has expressed support for the potential bid of Mohamed ElBaradei for the Egyptian presidency.[7]

He appeared in the 2011 BAFTA award-winning film, How to Start a Revolution.

Maher was detained on 29 November 2013 for holding a demonstration against a new Egyptian protest law. On 22 December 2013, together with other opposition leaders Ahmed Douma and Mohammed Adel, Maher was sentenced to three years in prison as a punishment for protests against recent steps by the Egyptian military government.[8] Maher was expected to appeal to further judgment.[9] The international community, including the U.S. State Department[10] and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France,[11] criticized the court’s decision in the context of human rights in Egypt. In March 2014 Maher's lawyer complained that Maher, Douma and Adel were beaten by courthouse guards before an appeal hearing.[12] Hamdeen Sabahi has censured the court conviction sentencing Ahmed Maher, Mohamed Adel and Ahmed Douma to three years in prison and a fine of LE50,000 and maintains that Interim President Adly Mansour should issue these and other detained individuals a pardon.[13] The Constitution Party has expressed solidarity with the detainees and their families and requested that the interim President Adly Mansour issue a pardon to Ahmed Maher, Mohammed Adel, and Ahmed Douma, as well as to Loay Abdel Rahman, Omar Hussein, Islam Ahmed, and Nasser Ibrahim.[14]

In 2014 he wrote an article for The Washington Post'' titled "The U.S. is supporting oppression in Egypt".[15]

On 4 January 2017, he was freed that evening after completing his 3 years jail term.[16] His lawyers state that provisory freedom was given their client and that he could be confined at the police station overnight at the discretion of authorities.[17]

References

  1. ^ David Wolman, Did Egypt Detain a Top Facebook Activist? , Wired, 2 February 2011
  2. ^ CyberDissidents.org,Ahmed Maher Archived 2011-07-02 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Mehran Kamrava, ed. (2014). Beyond the Arab Spring. Oxford University Press. p. 270. ISBN 9780190257385.
  4. ^ Sherif Mansour, Egypt's Facebook showdown, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2008
  5. ^ Liam Stack,Egypt detains Facebook activists – again, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 July 2008
  6. ^ David Wolman, Cairo Activists Use Facebook to Rattle Regime, Wired, 23 July 2008
  7. ^ Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Profile of Ahmed Maher Archived 2011-02-07 at the Wayback Machine, (accessed on 8 Feb 2011)
  8. ^ Fahim, Kareem (December 22, 2013). "In Blow to Leadership of '11 Revolt, Egypt Activists Are Given 3 Years in Prison". The New York Times.
  9. ^ Ashraf, Fady (December 22, 2013). "Three years in prison for activists". Daily News Egypt.
  10. ^ U.S. State Department: Press Release, December 23, 2013
  11. ^ Ministère des Affaires étrangères: Press Release, December 23, 2013
  12. ^ Lawyer: Egypt Activists Beaten in Courthouse
  13. ^ "Presidential candidate demands release of 'revolution activists'". Ahram Online. 7 April 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  14. ^ "Constitution Party requests President Mansour to pardon arrested activists". Egypt Independent. 7 April 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  15. ^ "The U.S. is supporting oppression in Egypt". The Washington Post. 7 February 2014.
  16. ^ "Egypt youth activist Ahmed Maher released from prison". BBC News. 5 January 2017.
  17. ^ Al Jazeera and news agencies. (5 January 2017). "Egypt frees 2011 uprising activist Ahmed Maher" Al Jazeera website Retrieved January 14, 2017
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