CAIRO: A 21-year-old Christian convert fled her parents’ home last Tuesday with her Coptic husband after police had forcibly returned her to their custody, the couple’s lawyer told Daily News Egypt.
Samar Mohamed was arrested last week for marrying Tharwat Reyad, 38, using a urfi (common law) marriage contract three years ago when she was still a minor at 18.
Mohamed had converted to Christianity and changed her name to Raheal, to be able to marry Tharwat.
After she spent two days in the Shubra police station last week, she was referred to state security for interrogation, where she claims she was abused, before being taken back to her parents.
Reyad told Daily News Egypt in a previous interview that Mohamed called him from the police station and told him that a family member tried to force her back to her parents’ house but she refused.
According to Reyad, police officers electrocuted Mohamed and threatened to rape her if she did not disclose her husband’s location.
She was later forcibly returned to her parents’ house. Reyad claims her parents also abused her and tried to burn a tattoo of a cross off her wrist.
A few days after her arrest, she ran away with her husband to an undisclosed location outside Cairo.
Reyad previously told Daily News Egypt that he volunteers at his church, helping Muslim converts convert back to Christianity.
Daily News Egypt failed to contact Reyad and Mohamed, as they continue to hide from the police.
