CAIRO: A few thousand Egyptians marched through the streets of downtown Cairo in a protest against military tribunals and solidarity for a jailed blogger on Monday evening. The march started at Talaat Harb Square and went through busy streets all the way to the prison where prominent activist and blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah is being held for 15 days under investigation. The crowd hassled the Monday evening traffic while chanting against the rule of the military council and demanding the release of all detainees. “Down with the rule of the militry, down with Mohamed Tantawy,” “bread, freedom and social equality” and “Happy birthday Tantawy, this is your last year,” the crowd chanted enthusiastically. Some 12,000 Egyptians have been tried and jailed in controversial military tribunals since the ousting of former President Hosni Mubarak. “I am here because if I get arrested, I want others to march for me,” student activist Hany, 24, told Bikyamasr.com as the march approached the prison. “I have never met Abdel Fattah before but I was a follower of his writings and I believe strongly in what he does,” he added. Fattah, one of Egypt's earliest bloggers served a sentence in jail before, for his participation in the 2006 judiciary protests, where the rights community came out in support of the judges who were calling for the independence of the judicial system. On Sunday, Fattah reportedly refused to be interrogated by the military court, rejecting its legal legitimacy. He was sentenced to 15 days in state custody pending further investigation, according to the Al-Nadeem Center for Victims of Violence in Cairo. Amnesty International reported that a ‘public complaint' and video allegedly has come forward showing Fattah threw rocks during the protests, but nothing has been made public. “The summoning of two activists by military prosecutors is a warning that Egypt's armed forces are cracking down on criticism, including of their handling of the Maspero violence,” said Amnesty International in the statement, in reference to activist Bahaa Saber, who also was summoned on Sunday, but released. The summoning announcement on October 26 came on the same day that United States President Barak Obama called to urge the head of Egypt's ruling military council, Hussein Tantawi, to urge him to bring an end to the practice of trying civilians in military courts. BM
