WASHINGTON (JTA) — The Obama administration is "deeply concerned" about the three-year sentence Egyptian authorities handed down to a pro-democracy blogger known for his pro-Israel views.
"We’re deeply concerned and disappointed by his sentencing, and certainly, we call on the Egyptian government to allow all Egyptian citizens the right to express their universal rights," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said April 12, referring to the sentence Michael Nabil received for his reports of the continued use by the military government of repressive measures following the ouster of longtime President Hosni Mubarak. "This is not the kind of progress we’re looking for."
Nabil, a pacifist, had been charged with "insulting the military." He is also known for his outspoken pro-Israel views, a rarity in Egypt.
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