Egyptian activist. One of Egypt's leading human rights and democracy activists Saad Eddin Ibrahim has been a strong critic of President Hosni Mubarak, and his slow pace of electoral reforms. On August 2, 2008 an Egyptian court convicted Saad Ibrahim in absentia and sentenced him to two years in prison for 'defaming Egypt' in a series of speeches and articles, including a column in the Washington Post in which he outlined the Egyptian government's human rights abuses. Ibrahim who also holds a US passport believes in dramatising the need for democratic reforms in Egypt - 'fighting an Egyptian cause as an Egyptian on Egyptian soil.' His ordeal began since June 2000, which has made him a celebrated prisoner of conscience at a time of increasing pressure on the Arab world to democratise. Ibrahim founded Ibn Khaldun Centre - a think tank dedicated to peace and democracy issues, now closed since his arrest. On having left Egypt in June 2007, Saad Ibrahim lives in Doha, Qatar, having taken up a number of teaching posts. If he returns to Egypt he stands to be jailed for a fourth time, having been sentenced to seven years' imprisonment in 2001 for 'tarnishing Egypt's reputation.' He was freed on appeal after serving 15 months of the sentence. Ibrahim suffered several minor strokes while he was in prison hence his physical force is now somewhat diminished and yet he is prepared to pay the price for what he has been fighting for.