CAIRO: Egyptian state security released two Christian men who were arrested Sunday at the Cairo International Book Fair for distributing Bibles to passersby.
According to an Egyptian human rights center, the police had filed a report against the two men accusing them of defaming Islam.
Whether the cases will reach the district attorney is yet unknown.
Mina Adel Shawky and Essam Kedees Nassif from Dayrout, in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Assiut, were arrested Sunday after being spotted distributing Bibles to pedestrians.
The men were held under investigation for charges of preaching, an offense that does not explicitly exist in the Egyptian legal code. Yet, the report that was filed against them accused them of defaming Islam.
“Preaching is legally not a crime, so the police had to accuse them of something, Naguib Gobrael, head of the Egyptian Union for Humans Rights told Daily News Egypt.
Shawky and Nassif were denied access to an attorney and the law center was unable to reach them during their detention, a procedure followed by police during closed investigations.
The men were apparently asked not to speak to the media “for now, said their lawyer.
“It’s not unusual for state security police to tell them not to talk to the media, Gobrael explained.
Many Coptic groups are frustrated over the accusation of what the state calls “preaching.
“Preaching was never a crime, and how could distributing a Bible or two defame Islam? Gobrael questioned.
“Copts should be allowed the same rights as Muslims when it comes to preaching.
Reports on Coptic news sites mentioned that the two men were also distributing CDs by ex-communicated priest Zachariah Boutros.
Boutros was removed from his position at the Coptic Orthodox Church due to his constant attacks on Islam via his satellite TV show, which infuriated both Muslims and Christians.
The same online reports quoted a source close to the two men denying they were distributing these CDs and confirming that they were only giving out Bibles.
