/ / EGYPT: TORTURED CONVERT ON TRIAL FOR HIS RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

EGYPT: TORTURED CONVERT ON TRIAL FOR HIS RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

UA: 45.26

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On July 15, 2025, security officers arrested Egyptian national and Christian convert Said Abdelrazek from his home in Cairo. After nine months of arbitrary pretrial detention, Said Abdelrazek was referred to trial before the Terrorism Circuit of the First Criminal Court in Badr on charges stemming from his conversion and religious beliefs. His first court hearing took place on April 21, 2026, and the trial was adjourned to June 15, 2026. Said Abdelrazek is currently detained in the 10th of Ramadan prison amid growing concerns over his health.

The Egyptian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Said Abdelrazek as he is solely detained for exercising his right to freedom of religion and belief.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: November 7, 2026

Here is how you can take action:

Send a letter to the Egyptian authorities
Send an email to the Egyptian authorities

Scroll down to Step 1 and Step 2 to access the full Urgent Action appeal, email to the Tunisian authorities, and sample letter

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Step 1

READ THE FULL URGENT ACTION

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You can now write a letter in your own words or download the sample below as a guide.

Remember to send your letter by November 7, 2026.

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Sample Letter

Dear Counsellor,

I write to urge the release of 30-year-old Christian convert Said Abdelrazek, detained solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of religion and belief. In July 2024, after deportation from Russia, National Security Agency officers arrested him at the airport, took him to an undisclosed location in Alexandria, and forcibly disappeared him for 10 days; informed sources report torture and ill-treatment, including attempts to remove his Christian tattoos and suspension for hours in a “crucifixion” position, while pressuring him to renounce his beliefs and inform on other converts.

On 15 July 2025, he was arrested again after seeking to change the religion on his national ID and later referred to trial (April 2026) on charges including “establishing and leading a group” and “contempt of religion”, facing up to life imprisonment. He has had severely restricted access to his lawyer (only one visit in January 2026) and his health is worsening, including severe lower back and urinary tract pain; requests for medical examination have been dismissed and families/lawyers reportedly blocked from bringing essentials.

Please release him immediately and unconditionally; pending release, guarantee confidential lawyer access, adequate healthcare and conditions meeting international standards; and ensure prompt, independent investigations into torture allegations and an end to prosecutions based solely on peaceful religious belief.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

Step 2

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Mail your letter to the government officials listed below. You can also email, fax, call, or post about them on social media.

Send your letter to:

Public Prosecutor Mohamed Shawky Ayyad

Office of the Public Prosecutor
Madinat al-Rehab
Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt

[email protected] @EgyptianPPO

and

CC: Egyptian Embassy in the United States, Ambassador Motaz Zahra

Send a copy of your letter to the address below

3521 International Court, NW,
Washington DC 20008

[email protected] [email protected]

When writing your letter, don’t forget to be factual, brief, and show respect. See more letter writing tips and emails, or organize and host a letter writing party.

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