Egypt: Mounir Said Hanna found guilty of “Satire”

Egyptian Mounir Said Hanna Marzuq has been found guilty of "satire" after a colleague reported him and his poem to the authorities. He has been sentenced to three years and was fined L.E. 100,000 for insulting president Hosni Mubarak.

Zeinobia called on Coptic human rights activist and the lawyer of the orthodox church, Naguib Gabriel and asked:

Where is Naguib Gabriel when you need him?

She also posted a translation of some of the verses that led to the man's downfall:

Shine, shine whom you shine on all of us
Shine, shine whom you shine wherever you go
No one can shine like you shine
You made people feel confused and lost
You made people feel happy and lost

Mounir Said Hanna was hoping that his lines would be turned into a ballad:

Zeinobia jotted down her frustration saying:

I am so angry for those who reported Mounir to the authorities !! Are we living the Nasserite era with reports writing again !!??
I wonder where are the human rights organizations in Egypt ?? Is not this an attack on freedom of expression ??
What did Mounir do for all that ??? So what if he mocks Mubarak !!?? Mubarak is not a God , he is just a president.
I wonder where is the Church from all this ??? Or now we are a secular country !!?

Speaking of the Church, Al Mowaten blogged it's reaction saying:

وأكد نجيب جبرائيل مستشار البابا شنودة للشؤون القانونية بأن المواطن لم يكن يقصد إهانة مبارك وأن ما قام به عمل أدبي لا يمكن التعامل معه على نحو غير ذلك.

Save Egypt Front posted the beginning of the story:

Furthermore:

The sentence has been appealed and the final verdict will be pronounced on July 18, 2009.