Three Christians are killed in Egypt

Last June, Nagah Megali, from Mahdi, a village in Sohag Governorate, died in hospital from injuries sustained in an attack. The events occurred while Megali was riding a motorcycle, a man threw him and attacked him with a machete. Megali was taken to hospital with serious injuries, while Abdullah Hosni (the person responsible for the attack) was arrested and jailed.

Despite the fact that in the trial he came out as guilty and confessed to the crime. The defendant’s family alleged that he has a mental illness. Relatives of the dead man said it is difficult to understand how a man who was mentally fit enough to travel and work in Libya could suddenly claim a mental disorder after being accused of killing his brother.

This is not the first time Hosni has attacked a Christian. Two years ago, after assaulting another Christian, he was sentenced to a year in prison, but was released after the usual “reconciliation session”. He moved to Libya and returned to Egypt two days before the attack on Megali. Hosni had reportedly established links with Islamic extremist groups during his stay in Libya.

In Egypt, incidents related to sectarian violence are usually resolved by local authorities through so-called “reconciliation sessions”. However, these sessions often leave minority Christians worse off, while Muslim authors go free. This has given rise to a culture of impunity for violence against Christians that intensifies the attacks as the punishment is not too severe. The persecution and murders of Christians around the world are becoming increasingly serious and harmful to minorities in Christian communities. Thus, fleeing the country is an increasingly repeated practice while the authorities do not guarantee the safety of these families.