Family Says Son Was Killed by Commanding Officer Because He was a Coptic Christian
ICC Note: The family of 22-year-old Matthew Samir Habib have raised doubts concerning the events surrounding his death. The army has reported that Matthew committed suicide. His family, however, point to two chest shots as evidence that he could not have committed suicide. His priest also says that Matthew had frequently complained about religious persecution in the army. Throughout the years, there have been a number of suspicious deaths of Christians in Egypt’s military.
03/20/2018 Egypt (World Watch Monitor) – A young Egyptian Copt reported to have committed suicide in his army unit last week was in fact killed by his commanding officer, his family say.
Matthew Samir Habib, 22, was pronounced dead at his Al-Ahram Palace Club unit in Giza, just south of Cairo, last Wednesday morning (14 March).
His father, Samir, was told that his son had shot himself twice. This was also the official cause of death lodged on the burial permit.
Samir, however, refused to sign the document and receive the body, saying he did not believe Matthew had taken his own life.
“Matthew told us many times before that the colonel in his military unit, Ayman Mohamad Ahmed El Kabeer, was always persecuting and insulting him because of his religious identity,” a family member, who did not wish to be named, told World Watch Monitor.
“Matthew, however, was patient and endured it all. His friends from the same unit told us that there had been a quarrel between Colonel El Kabeer and him on the day of the incident, when he had objected to something the colonel said.”
The family member added that Matthew was a very devout young man, whose faith would have prevented him from taking his own life. They also asked how he could have shot himself twice in the chest, when the first shot should have proved fatal.
Matthew came from Ballout village in Asyut Governorate, around 350km south of Giza. He graduated from the Space Institute of Asyut in 2016 and started his military service a year later. He was expected home in June.
A priest from a local Coptic church, who did not wish to be named, told World Watch Monitor he was convinced the suicide allegation was untrue and that Matthew had told him about his persecution in the army.
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