2/7/2025 Egypt (International Christian Concern) — On Jan. 31, two Christian men, Abdulbaqi Said Abdo and Nour Gerges, were released from prison in Egypt after spending more than three years behind bars.
Both men were arrested in 2021 on blasphemy-related charges after participating in a Facebook group that discussed and helped individuals who had converted from Islam to Christianity.
Though the men have been released, Egyptian authorities haven’t formally dropped the charges in their cases.
Upon his release, Abdo spoke of his suffering while in prison and expressed gratitude for the support he received during his detainment. In August 2024, he launched a hunger strike to protest the Egyptian government’s treatment of him while he was incarcerated.
“I endured many hardships in prison,” Abdo said in a report from ADF International. “It isn’t right that a government should tear me away from my family, keep me in these awful conditions, only because of the faith in which I peacefully choose to believe.
“I thank everyone who prayed for me while I was in prison, cared about and followed up on my case, and shared the joy of my release from prison.”
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) stated they are “pleased with the release of Abdulbaqi Said Abdo and Nour Gerges after… [they were] unjustly detained on blasphemy charges.”
USCIRF reported that Gerges had allegedly been tortured by prison guards while detained, and Abdo was sent to solitary confinement after a fellow inmate told authorities he had written down Bible passages.
Egypt has a contentious history with Christians, with allegations of persecution against them being reported for years.
In 2022, Amnesty International reported on nine Coptic Christians who had been jailed for protesting restrictions on rebuilding a burned church. Additionally, in 2024, Genocide Watch stated that the homes of several Christians had been burned.
Egypt’s blasphemy law, Article 98(f), is an often-used tool to persecute Christians. According to Minority Rights Group, “it is estimated that up to 90% of blasphemy charges in Egypt are brought against Christians.”
USCIRF, in its latest report from 2024, called for Article 98(f) to be repealed and recommended Egypt be placed on its Special Watch List “for engaging in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom pursuant to the International Religious Freedom Act.”
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