About 10% of Egypt is Christian. Not only the Copts, but also our 300,000 Greek Orthodox brothers and sisters in Egypt suffer sporadic persecution, discrimination, and harassment, and as we see so often, frequently Egyptian officials do little or nothing to alleviate their plight. Converts to Christianity suffer particular difficulties.
“Father imprisoned in Egypt for Facebook comments on religion declares hunger strike,” ADF International, August 15, 2024:
CAIRO, EGYPT (15 August 2024) A father, imprisoned for over two-and-a-half years for discussing theology with Christian converts in a private Facebook group following his conversion from Islam to Christianity, has declared a hunger strike in a heartbreaking letter to his wife and family. Religious freedom advocates are calling for the urgent and safe release of Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo following a devastating letter to his family, in which he vows to strike in stages until he makes the strike “complete,” including turning away healthcare treatment and, eventually, food. Abdo was arrested by Egyptian authorities in 2021 for his involvement with a Facebook page that is dedicated to supporting people who have converted from Islam to Christianity. He was living as a UNHCR registered asylum seeker in Egypt following the death threats he received in his home country of Yemen after he converted to Christianity. In his letter, which has been translated from Arabic… Abdo first addresses his family, saying “My beloved wife and children, who are precious to my heart and soul. My dear, I miss you a lot, a lot a lot. And I pray to God that he will protect you and make you successful in all your situation of your life. And my prayer is that God will unite us together soon.” The letter carries on, “I started today on the 7 of August 2024 a partial strike. And I refuse to take treatment from the person who is responsible for healthcare in the prison. And I requested from him to tell the management in the prison that I am doing so. I am going to increase my strike in stages until I make the strike complete during the coming weeks. And the reason of my strike that they arrested me without any legal justification. They did not convict me for any violation of the law. And they did not set me free during my remand imprisonment which was ended 8 months ago.” Abdo concluded his devastating letter by signing off, “I love you all, Daddy.” Egyptian authorities arrested Abdo, along with another Christian named Nour Girgis, after discovering their affiliation with the Facebook page, spuriously claiming they were involved with terrorism activities. The men have since been held in pre-trial detention facilities for over two and a half years, having been moved around to different detention centers while their criminal trials have been repeatedly postponed. Their physical health has continued to decline, and they have been allowed only occasional visits from family and legal counsel throughout the ordeal….
