Christian tortured for converting to Christianity in Egypt
An Egyptian Christian convert from Islam was allegedly tortured in prison, hung in a crucifixion position and denied food and medical care.
On April 21, 2026, the trial began in Cairo of an Egyptian man who converted from Islam to Christianity. According to The Christian Post, he was subjected to severe torture while in detention.
Said Mansour Rizk Abdelrazek was arrested in July 2025 after openly declaring his faith and attempting to change his religion in official documents. Although apostasy is not formally prohibited, such actions in practice often lead to persecution.
According to human rights organizations, he was beaten in prison and deprived of adequate food, clothing, and medical care. He was reportedly suspended in a crucifixion position and pressured to renounce Christianity.
He had previously left Russia, where in 2019 he sought asylum on religious grounds. In 2023, however, he was detained, and in 2024 he was deported back to Egypt despite grounds for international protection.
After his return, Egyptian authorities detained him again, held him in isolation, and interrogated him over his religious beliefs.
He now faces charges of “contempt of Islam and challenging its fundamental principles,” membership in a banned organization, and spreading ideas allegedly "harmful to national unity and social peace."
The court postponed the hearing at the request of the defense, with the next session scheduled for June 15. Human rights advocates regard him as a prisoner of conscience and link his prosecution to his conversion to Christianity.
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