The arrest and subsequent detention of Alber Saber, an Egyptian Atheist who was accused of posting the amateur, anti-Islam film “The Innocence of Muslims” on Facebook has shocked many observers.

For those of you unfamiliar, a mob surrounded Saber’s appartment in east Cairo Wednesday night, threatened to burn the building down and spread [totally false] rumors that he had burned the Koran. Terrified, Alber’s mother called the police to protect her son.

Instead, Alber was arrested, assaulted with a razor blade by a fellow prisoner and charged with defamation of religion – an antiquated law rarely wheeled out.

According to his lawyer, Ahmed Ezzat, Alber has disappeared after appearing in court over the weekend.

“They are not telling us where he is being kept,” Ezzat told me. “We are searching.”

Alber’s mother, Kariman Mesiha Khalil, told me that he was being interrogated, but she didn’t know where.

More to follow.