11/24/2018 Egypt (International Christian Concern) –  An Egyptian man accused of supporting ISIS and premeditating the murder of a Christian doctor in Cairo last year has been sentenced to death. The verdict was sent to Egypt’s top Muslim cleric for ratification. The defendant, who has not been identified, pretended to be a patient in order to gain access to the victim.

Egypt’s record of protecting religious freedom is quite abysmal. Selective, public steps have been taken which give the appearance of engaging the judiciary to convict those charged with violence towards Christians. However, there are a number of other concerns.

Egypt lacks an independent judiciary which engages in due process of law. While some have been convicted for their extremist activities towards Christians, the methodology has raised questions about whether Egypt is truly sincere about human rights. The response of the government to the 2018 Minya bus attack against a Christian caravan also raised a similar issue into question. In this case, the government killed suspected militants in a military operation. It was never confirmed whether these individuals were indeed the ones responsible for the attack.

For interviews with Claire Evans, ICC’s Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: [email protected].