A Christian convert from Islam, Mohammed Ahmed Hegazy (24), brought a case against Egypt's interior ministry for rejecting his application to replace Islam with Christianity on his personal identification papers on August 2. According to an August 8 report from Compass Direct, he went into hiding after his lawyer, Mamdouh Nakhla, withdrew from the case on August 7. Nakhla claimed his decision to drop Hegazy's case was made in the interest of "national unity" and said that he did not want to offend Muslims or "provoke public opinion." However, it is suspected that Nakhla's decision was made out of fear for his life since he has received death threats from Muslims clerics who demand that he withdraw from Hegazy's case. Muslims also filed a reactionary lawsuit against him on charges of causing secretarian strife and baptizing Muslims. Ongoing threats and attacks from the national media have forced Hegazy to remain underground during his search for a new lawyer.
Pray for safety and protection for Hegazy. Ask God to enable him to stand firm with a consistent testimony of Christ's grace in the face of any threat. Pray that all Egyptian Christians will be allowed to express their true religious identity in a spiritually hostile environment.
For more information on the persecution of Christians in Egypt, go to the Egypt Country Report.
Legal system Mixed legal system based on Napoleonic civil and penal law, Islamic religious law, and vestiges of colonial-era laws
Source: CIA World Factbook
Pray for Egypt
Pray on behalf of those who are facing economic and social challenges because of their Christian faith. Ask the Lord to provide for their spiritual and practical needs – further strengthening and emboldening them so they can effectively share the message of the Gospel with others in their communities. May the hearts of those who hear it be open and receptive to the wonderful truths contained in God’s Word.
In October 2025, Dr. Augustin Sam'an was arrested and charged with "contempt of Islam" due to the content he shared on his YouTube channel. (More details about his situation are available here.) As a result of the subsequent trial, this Christian scholar/apologist was sentenced on January 3rd to five years of hard labour. Not only were the court proceedings conducted in secret, without due notification given to his family or lawyers, but he was also denied access to legal defence. Finally, Dr. Augustin's lawyers were granted access to the file relating to his case on February 11th.
A church in Egypt. Photo: Flickr / David Hoffman (CC)
In 2016, legislation was passed to expedite the approval process for churches in Egypt. Prior to this, congregations that had applied for registration encountered significant opposition over the years, and the construction of new worship facilities was often delayed. Since 2017, however, the committee responsible for reviewing the applications approved an average of approximately 475 churches each year.
On April 21st, legal proceedings began in the case against Saeid Abdulraziq, a Christian convert in Egypt. Although the believer has been accused under the country's anti-terrorism laws, advocates believe his arrest is primarily linked to his conversion to Christianity and subsequent involvement in faith-related activities. (To access a previously published report regarding Saeid's case, go to this report.)
Saeid Mansour Abdulraziq converted from Islam to Christianity in 2016, joining the Russian Orthodox Church. Immediately following his conversion, he began experiencing harassment and intimidation from his family members, the wider community, and local police. In an effort to find safety, Saeid sought asylum in Russia but was forced to return to Egypt in 2024.