Egypt: acquittals in drive-by shooting of Christians

February 24, 2011

An Egyptian state security court has acquitted two men “known to be accomplices” in the January 2010 drive-by shooting of seven people outside a Coptic church in southern Egypt, according to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

“It took over a year, and the Egyptian state security court committed serious breaches of due process and fairness in the case of the killings of six Christians and one Muslim in Naga Hammadi,” said Leonard Leo, USCIRF chair. “The government also should ensure that Christian and other non-Muslim places of worship receive heightened security, particularly in the current climate where religious minorities are increasingly vulnerable to extremist attacks, including threats to eradicate Christians from the region.”

In January, another man was sentenced to death in the killings.

 

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Further information:

• Egypt: USCIRF Concerned about Acquittals in Sectarian Killings Case (USCIRF)
• Egypt: man sentenced to death for drive-by shooting of Christians (CWN, 1/17/11)