Coming Nov. 26: Defense Motion for a Stay of 2-Year Sentence Against Novelist Ahmed Naji
On November 26, Egyptian novelist Ahmed Naji’s legal team will make a third attempt to stay the two-year sentenced issued for an excerpt of his novel, Using Life, that ran in Akhbar al-Adab:
The motion is set to be heard at Bulaq Abu Al-Aila Misdemeanour court.
A successful stay of execution would allow Naji to be free pending his appeal, for which a date has not yet been set, even though a request was filed in late April.
Naji’s case continues to create waves, as former Minister of Culture Gaber Asfour and three journalists are headed to court for allegedly “insulting the judiciary” over comments made about freedom of speech and Naji’s case.
Naji is also one of the five writers in focus on November 15, for PEN International’s “Day of the Imprisoned Writer.”
As PEN notes, Naji is “currently serving a two-year prison sentence for ‘violating public modesty’ in relation to the publication of excerpts from his 2014 novel Istikhdam al-Hayat…in Akhbar al-Adab magazine, also in 2014. Naji has now served almost eight months of his sentence.”
On November 15, PEN supporters will be using the hashtag #ImprisonedWriter and #FreeNaji to bring attention to Naji’s case.
Read the excerpt that got Naji two years in prison.
Take actions suggested by PEN.
Follow Naji’s case at “Egypt Art on Trial” on Facebook.