A Christian convert in Egypt has been charged with terrorism after he requested a new identification document to reflect his change of religion. The man, arrested earlier this month, now faces accusations of stirring unrest and spreading false news.
Saeid Mansour Abdulraziq was arrested on July 15 at the Al-Matareiah police station in Cairo after seeking legal assistance to obtain official documents acknowledging his conversion from Islam to Christianity, the U.K.-based group Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported this week.
He was charged by Egypt’s state security prosecution on July 22 with joining a terrorist organization, inciting unrest and disseminating false information.
Abdulraziq converted to Christianity in 2016 and was baptized into the Russian Orthodox Church while living in Egypt. His decision led to severe personal and social consequences, including rejection by family, hostility from his community and regular police harassment whenever he spoke openly about his new faith.
In 2018, he traveled to Russia, where he applied for asylum and began publicly criticizing Islam. His public statements provoked backlash among segments of Russia’s Muslim communities, and Russian authorities arrested him in 2019.
After serving a one-year sentence, Abdulraziq’s asylum status was revoked. He was deported to Egypt in 2024.
Upon arrival, Egyptian authorities detained him briefly for questioning but released him with a warning not to speak publicly or proselytize. Though some Islamist groups in Egypt reportedly pressured the government to arrest him, he remained free until his attempt to update his identification this year.
Christian lawyer Saeid Fayaz was quoted as saying that thousands of converts face similar challenges with no rights and little support. “They live in isolation and constant fear. Saeid believed in the Egyptian constitution, which provides for religious freedom, not realizing that it is a one-way freedom,” he said.
Egypt’s population is approximately 111 million, with about 90% identifying as Sunni Muslims and 10% identifying as Christians. Despite numbering around 11 million, Christians in the country face widespread persecution.
In June, an Egyptian court issued a ruling transferring ownership of Saint Catherine’s Monastery, one of the world’s oldest Christian monastic institutions, to the state.
The decision sparked international concern, including from Christian leaders who feared the site could be converted into a museum and the resident monks displaced.
Saint Catherine’s Monastery, located at the base of Mount Sinai, is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is widely believed to be the location where Moses received the Ten Commandments. The site holds religious significance for Jews, Christians and Muslims.
Built between 548 and 565 CE by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, the monastery has been a continuous center of Christian worship and pilgrimage.
Originally published by the Christian Post.
