Despite the international outcry and the continued effort by student activists and bloggers to secure his release, Abdel Kareem Nabil Suleiman, who blogged under the name Kareem Amer, still sits behind bars in Egpyt. Kareem, who blogged about women's rights and secularism, was sentenced on Feb. 22, 2007, to three years in prison for "inciting hatred of Islam" and one year for allegedly insulting President Hosni Mubarak.

In the past year, Kareem, being held at Borg El Arab prison, has reported isolation and torture. Reporters Without Borders said of the solemn anniversary:

"Kareem Amer should not have been obliged to become the symbol of repression of the Egyptian blogosphere. He should have been able to continue blogging on the situation in Egypt. He was arrested and sentenced to four years in prison for an entry posted on his blog. We call for his release and we appeal to Internet users to ensure that the straggle of Egypt’s bloggers is heard."

Reporters Without Borders is still hosting a petition that you can sign to call for Kareem's release.

Also, keep up on Kareem news, learn about rallies to attend, and support free speech in the blogosphere by visiting the Free Kareem campaign Web site. Additionally, you can write a letter to Kareem to help support him in this time of isolation; let him know that you support him and his right to blog. Kareem speaks/understands English and Arabic. You can find the address here.