2018-06-13, updated 2018-06-14

URGENT ACTION REQUIRED

Please sign in support of Sherif Gaber here: Egyptian Government: Free Sherif Gaber ^[1]

News reports state that Egyptian Atheist and blogger Sherif Gaber – who was arrested at Cairo airport whilst trying to leave Egypt on 2 May – is being prosecuted for “wanting to overthrow the Egyptian regime” with 27 others, including bloggers Waël Abbas and Chadi Abouzeid. The prosecutions are a continuation of arrests of opponents and civil society activists.

Gaber is a long time activist who has been harassed and imprisoned for blasphemy and defending the LGBT community and promoting science and atheism over many years.

Since his arrest, despite announcements on social media that he had been released, activists have been concerned that he has not been seen in public since 2 May. They are concerned about his whereabouts and wellbeing.

The news reports state that the government has accused the 28 of “wanting to undermine the Constitution, laws and national unity, as well as spreading false news in Egypt and abroad with the intention of harming national and economic interests.” In fact, nothing harms the interests of Egypt more than persecuting people for the mere exercise of their freedom of conscience and expression.

We remind the Egyptian government that criticising religion, God and the state are part and parcel of the right to free expression and conscience and that atheism, apostasy and blasphemy are not crimes. Moreover, we demand that Gaber and others detained for the exercise of their free expression be immediately and unconditionally released.

#FreeSherifGaber #AtheismNotACrime #BlasphemyNotACrime #ApostasyNotACrime

Initial Signatories

• Armin Navabi, Founder of Atheist Republic
• Cemal Knudsen Yucel, Founder and Leader, Ex-Muslims Of Norway
• Djemila Benhabib, Writer
• Faisal Saeed Al Mutar, Global Secular Humanist Movement
• Fariborz Pooya, Producer, Bread and Roses TV
• Hanifullah Wais, Human Rights Defender and Civil Society Activist
• Ibrahim Abdallah, Founder, Muslimish
• Imad Iddine Habib, Founder of Council of Ex-Muslims of Morocco and Spokesperson, Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain
• Ismail Mohamed, Founder of Black Ducks Talk Show
• Jimmy Bangash, Spokesperson, Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain
• Karrar Al Asfoor, Forum for Humanitarian Dialog, Atheist Alliance Middle East and North Africa
• Marieme Helie Lucas, Founder of Secularism is a Women’s Issue
• Maryam Namazie, Spokesperson, Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and One Law for All
• Mazen Abou Hamdan, Freethought Lebanon
• Mohammed Alkhadra, Founder of Jordanian Atheists and Council of Ex-Muslims of Jordan
• Muhammad Syed, President, Ex-Muslims of North America
• Nacer Amari, Representative, Association of Freethinkers in Tunisia
• Nadia ElFani, Filmmaker
• Rana Ahmad, Writer
• Sadia Hameed, Spokesperson, Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain
• Sami Ab., Co-founder, Freethought Lebanon
• Sarah Haider, Executive Director, Ex-Muslims of North America
• Taslima Nasrin, Writer
• Usama al-Binni, Arab Atheists Network
• Waleed Al-Husseini, Founder, Council of Ex-Muslims of France
• Wissam Charafeddine, Chairman, Institute for Religious Studies, Humanities, and Dialogue
• Zayir Hameed, Council of Ex-Muslims of Sri Lanka
• Albert Beale, Pacifist Activist
• Beatrix Campbell, Writer
• Cinzia Sciuto, Editor of MicroMega
• David Rand, President, Libres penseurs athées – Atheist Freethinkers
• Ensaf Haidar, President, Raif Badawi Foundation
• Gita Sahgal, Director, Centre for Secular Space
• Harsh Kapoor, Founder, South Asia Citizens Web
• Hassan Radwan, Agnostic Muslims Blog
• Katha Pollitt, Poet and Essayist
• Kenan Malik, Writer
• Marek Łukaszewicz, President, Kazimierz Łyszczynski Foundation
• María Teresa Giménez Barbat, MEP
• Monica Lanfranco, Feminist Activist and Journalist
• Nina Sankari – Vice President, Kazimierz Łyszczynski Foundation
• Pragna Patel, Director, Southall Black Sisters
• Rahila Gupta, Journalist and Campaigner
• Robyn E. Blumner, President and CEO, Center for Inquiry and Executive Director, Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason & Science
• Shelley Segal, Singer/Songwriter
• Sikivu Hutchinson, Black Skeptics Los Angeles
• Stephen Evans, CEO, National Secular Society
• Yasmin Rehman, Women’s Rights Activist