News at Eleven: [Najeeb] Al-Nuaimi, who once served as Qatar's

justice minister, has filed an appeal in the case.  His previous clients have included Saddam Hussein and prisoners at Guantanamo.  The first hearing on the appeal is scheduled for December 30, when al-Nuaimi will argue irregularities in the process, including:

1.  Not charging [Muhammed ibn al-Dheeb] al-Ajami within the first six months of his arrest;

2.  Moving al-Ajami from detention to the Central Prison after eight days without possibility of bail, and keeping him in extended solitary confinement;

3.  Appointing the investigating judge to oversee court hearings, despite clear animosity between the judge and the defendant and against Qatar's judicial laws;

4.  Holding court hearings in secret, without Al-Nuami and Al-Ajami being permitted to attend, and disallowing a verbal defense; and

5.  Tampering with court transcripts to make it appear that Ibn Al-Dheeb admitted to reciting his poem in public.

from Consortiumnews: Qatar's Hypocrisy on Freedom
then RootsAction: Release Qatari Poet Mohamed Ibn Al Ajami

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