Photo: CSW
On July 22nd, Egyptian authorities formally charged Saeid Mansour Abdulraziq (a convert from Islam to Christianity) with joining a terrorist organization, stirring unrest and spreading false information. Since converting to the Christian faith in 2016 and joining the Russian Orthodox Church, Saeid experienced persistent rejection from his family and community, as well as intimidation from local police. Despite these challenges, he regularly shared his newfound faith with those around him.
In 2018, due to increasing hostility, Saeid travelled to Russia where he applied for asylum. However, when the former Muslim's outspoken stance against Islam sparked tensions within some of Russia's Muslim communities, he was arrested and imprisoned by Russian officials. Eventually, Saeid was deported to Egypt in 2024. Upon his return, Egyptian authorities interrogated the accused Christian man and warned him against proselytizing.
In recent weeks, Saeid sought legal assistance to obtain updated identification documents so that his government-registered religion would reflect his conversion to Christianity. However, on July 15th, the believer was suddenly arrested and, one week later, charges were officially filed against him.
According to Saeid Fayaz, a Christian lawyer based in Cairo, this incident reflects the experiences of many other Christian converts in Egypt: "Thousands of Christian converts in Egypt have no rights and they receive little support. They live in isolation and constant fear. [Saeid Mansour Abdulraziq] believed in the Egyptian constitution, which provides for religious freedom, not realizing that it is a one-way freedom." To view other published reports concerning the challenges facing believers in Egypt, go to our country profile.
- Pray that God will mightily sustain Saeid as he endures imprisonment, asking that this detained believer would experience divine peace, strength and encouragement in powerful ways.
- May God grant greatly needed wisdom, courage and direction as Saeid and his legal counsel endeavour to have these charges dropped.
- Pray that the Gospel message will continue to spread throughout Egypt, leading many more people to encounter the love, truth and hope of Jesus Christ.
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