Egyptian convert to Christianity faces death penalty in terrorism court

Said Abdelrazek, a 30-year-old Egyptian who left Islam and became a Christian in 2016, faces the death penalty before a terrorism court in Egypt. He has been detained since July 2025 and appeared at a hearing on November 3, 2026, at which prosecutors asked for the maximum sentence available: 25 years in prison or death. Amnesty International and Coptic Solidarity, a US-based group that advocates for Egypt's Christian minority, say he is being prosecuted solely because he converted to Christianity.

The charges against Abdelrazek

The charges include spreading ideas contrary to national unity and social peace, contempt of Islam, membership in an illegal terrorist organization, inciting unrest and spreading false information. His lawyers have disputed that the terrorist organization exists at all. The trial was adjourned until December 8, when the defense will present its closing arguments.

The prosecutor's case: the religious identity of the state

The prosecutor argued that "while anyone is free to leave Islam, Abdelrazek had no right to show hostility toward that religion," according to accounts of the hearing collected by Coptic Solidarity, which have not been independently confirmed. The prosecuting lawyer accused him of insulting the prophet Muhammad, his wife Aisha, his companions and the Muslim community as a whole, and of helping to divide Egyptian society.

The prosecutor also said that people who addressed Abdelrazek by the honorific "Mawlana," meaning "our master," were sympathizers of a terrorist organization. The same accounts say the hearing ended with the prosecutor declaring that "Egypt was and would remain an Islamic state."

Questions about the court's impartiality

One incident during the session has alarmed human rights advocates. When a lawyer was seen drinking water while standing, the presiding judge is reported to have cited a hadith discouraging the practice and to have asked those in the courtroom to express their love for Muhammad. Coptic Solidarity said that if the account is confirmed, religious instruction delivered from the bench during the trial of a Christian convert raises serious doubts about the appearance of judicial impartiality.

Conditions in detention

Conditions at the 10th of Ramadan prison, where Abdelrazek is being held, have been described as "abusive." Amnesty International has documented cruel and inhuman detention conditions at the facility, including severe restrictions on movement, access to sunlight and contact with family members.

Calls for his release

Amnesty International and other human rights organizations are calling for Abdelrazek's immediate and unconditional release, saying he was detained and prosecuted only because he changed his faith. Coptic Solidarity said the case turns on a single question: whether an Egyptian citizen can freely leave Islam, become a Christian and express his beliefs without being treated as a threat to the state.