CAIRO: “I was discouraged by what I've inspected from the newspapers last week, I was saddened by the fall of #maspero's martyrs who were assasinated by the bullets of the military occupation, I was disheartened by the army's attempts to chase members of the movement and in particular my brother and my friend Sahar Maher; aside from blackmailing them by death threats and trying to recruit them for the Egyptian Intelligence like they always do with me and eventually fail. I was shocked to know about the apology that my father, who tried to kill me in the past, offered to the army, and the silly way that Adel Morsy, Penalty Battalion Commander in the #SCAF, to make him sign a humiliating appeal to all the revolutionaries, and not only me. I have not done any mistake to apologize, I'm proud of every word I wrote, and every stance I took. I am honored to be the first one to raise banners and signs in #Tahrir against the military rule at the time the foolish and ‘paid' politicians were sucking up to the army. It is the SCAF who should apologize for all the gruesome murders, torture of protesters, and illegal detentions. It is the SCAF who should apologize for my imprisonment, my persecution, gagging acts imposed on me and eavesdropment on my loved ones' lives. I'm innocent from the apology my father has signed. I was also outraged by the lawyers' persistence on ignoring my request on boycotting the military judiciary system and constancy on imposing their presence and litigation without informing me, despite of my will. This is why I announce that I will not attend tomorrow's trial and that all my lawyers in front of a military court do not represent me. May the army go with their disgusting and gruesome ‘soap operas' to hell. I don't beg for my freedom from a group of killers and thieves. If the military thinks I will get weaker due to my hunger strike and eventually accept jail and slavery, then let them dream. If my imprisonment continues more than this extent, it's more honorable for me to commit suicide rather than let a group of Nazi criminals feel that they have succeeded to imprison my freedom. I'm more chivalrous than this disgrace.” – Maikel Nabil Sanad, Marg's Prison 17/10/2011 This was a courageous statement made by #MaikelNabil, who many political parties and “revolutionaries” have chosen to ignore as to not ruin their political image and reputation towards the public. Even after his 57th day on his provocative hunger strike, he has not surrendered and vowed he will never will. Maikel has actually declared that he'd rather commit suicide and die with honor than subside to an unfair military rule and sentence that many earlier have referred to as an “execution order.” @FreeMaikel, the “Free Maikel Nabil” campaign official page on Twitter, announced: “Maikel's confinement is totally illegitimate, he is not charged of anything right now. All the false charges were dropped, why is he still in prison?” Mark Nabil Sanad, Maikel's brother, declared that he's intimidated by the realization that the army might kill Maikel and claim it was he who committed suicide, especially after announcing it publically, and as a result let #MaikelNabil be remembered to the public as “the blogger who killed himself.” Mark also said that when the family asked the military officials why wasn't Maikel released, they answered that the apology submitted by his father granted him a retrial; a shocking decision as the same military officials have promised Nabil Sanad that #MaikelNabil was going to be among the detainees to be released on October 6. #MaikelNabil's arrest came after a controversial blog he wrote in March, when the people were still chanting: “The people and the army are one hand.” He opposed the chant and argued that members of the #SCAF were actually a part of #Mubarak‘s dictatorship that had learned a lot from his oppressive regime. He called for the dismissal of the SCAF in order to announce that the whole regime has really fallen apart. In a recent letter, #MaikelNabil has written that he has become confused, in the coming years, if we as Egyptians are going to consider February 11 a day of celebration because it's the day #Mubarak was toppled? Or, are we going to consider it a sad day because it's a commemoration of the military reaching power and taking control? Although #MaikelNabil‘s case was ignored and intentionally forgotten by the majority of the Egyptian media, people on the web still supported his stance and his right to express his views freely. Some argued that by not supporting #MaikelNabil, the first political prisoner in Egypt post #jan25, the revolution loses what it originally erupted for. The highly dubious Muslim Brotherhood (Ikhwan) has earlier announced on their official website and Twitter account, @IkhwanWeb, their support and solidarity with #MaikelNabil‘s case. “Whether we agree with him or not, we demand his immediate release as we refuse that opinions and voices of individuals are tried in military courts,” said Mohamed el Beltagy, a Muslim Brotherhood leader. You may choose to agree or disagree, but never ignore the fact that #MaikelNabil deserves a fair trial in a civilian court just like the 12,000 tried with him by the military. Let it be known that when freedom of speech is taken away, we will be led silent, to the slaughter. Hang in there #MaikelNabil. ** Menna Alaa can be found on Twitter: @TheMiinz BM
