Four Coptic Christian men who were present in St Mark’s Cathedral in Cairo when it was attacked earlier this month were arrested late last week.
Two of those detained were identified as Shadi Sami and Michael Morcos while names of the two others were not immediately released.
The men were among hundreds of people who attended a funeral at St Mark”s Cathedral for four Coptic men killed in sectarian violence on 5th April in the town of Khosous, some 16 kilometres from Cairo.
Andrew Johnston, advocacy director of Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), said the arrests came “at a time when the Coptic community in Egypt is still coming to terms with an unprecedented attack on the headquarters of the Coptic Orthodox Church and the violence in Khosous”.
“Two Copts were killed during the attack on the Cathedral; four more died in Khosous, yet not one of their attackers has been arrested,” he said. “Such discrepancies in the discharge of justice contribute to impunity, and can only foster more sectarianism. They also sends a clear message that Christians are not viewed as equal citizens, despite the government”s verbal protestations to the contrary, and the fact that Egypt is party to international covenants that prohibit discrimination.”
He said that being in the cathedral identified the men as “victims, not perpetrators”. “CSW therefore urges their immediate release, and calls on the Egyptian authorities to focus instead on apprehending assailants caught on camera as they attacked the Cathedral with stones and guns.”
Two Coptic men were killed and scores injured during the violence outside St Mark’s.
