CAIRO: Military prosecution started on Monday investigating the attack on Coptic protesters at dawn that left at least 15 injured.
Copts had ended late Sunday a 9-day sit-in out the state TV building in Cairo after the rebuilding of a burnt church in Helwan started.
Few protesters who reportedly stayed overnight to wait for the end of the 12-am-6-am curfew to go to their homes outside Cairo were attacked by the army at around 4 am.
According to lawyer Hany Ramsis, 15 were receiving treatment at the Coptic Hospital. One of the protesters was carried to the Helal Hospital but was later transferred to the Coptic one. Unconfirmed reports suggested that four were at the Qasr Al-Aini Hospital.
Muslims had joined the sit-in in support of the rights of the Coptic protesters. The injured were believed to be Christian and Muslim.
Ramsis filed a report to the military prosecution, which in turn started its investigation.
Coptic activist and one of the sit-in organizers Ramy Kamel told Daily News Egypt that protesters were cleaning the place when army officials thought they were planning to continue protesting.
Kamel said that protesters decided to donate the remaining supplies of food, and blankets to the people of Sol village in an attempt to show solidarity.
"We met on Sunday evening with Prime Minister Dr. Essam Sharaf who decided to form a committee to examine Coptic problems related to citizenship issues, church building, and all sorts of discrimination," said Kamel.
"The committee, whose announcement is to be in a couple of days, will include judges, public figures and number of activists who participated in the sit-in."
Armed Forces trucks loaded with building material and accompanied by engineers arrived at the Sol village in Etfeeh, Helwan, Sunday morning to rebuild a church that was burnt down in a sectarian attack last week.
The construction started at the original site of the church, following a weekend reconciliation agreement between the Muslims and Copts of Sol village.
Lawyer of the Orthodox Church Ramsis El-Naggar told Daily News Egypt that one of the major achievements of Jan.25 Revolution is that it transformed the Coptic problem from a sectarian issue to a political one.
"We believe that we are witnessing a new era where Coptic issues has be handled politically not on a sectarian basis."
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A soldier stands guard as the army and construction workers start rebuilding the church that was set ablaze last week. (AFP Photo/Aris Messinis)
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Coptic Christian gather outside the state radio and television headquarters in Cairo on March 13 to demand the rebuilding of a church that was set ablaze last week. (AFP Photo/Mahmud Hams)
