A Christian convert in Egypt faces a trial over his attempt to change his legal documents to reflect his newfound faith.
Said Abdelrazek, who turned from Islam to Christianity, has been accused of terrorism merely for trying to amend the papers, according to a report from International Christian Concern.
The ministry noted that Abdelrazek will therefore face proceedings before the First Criminal Terrorism Circuit in Badr — a court that is notorious for disappearing convicts and practicing other “opaque proceedings” — on April 21.
“The Badr court complex, where Abdelrazek’s hearing will take place, has drawn increasing concern from international observers,” International Christian Concern warned.
“Critics argue that its terrorism circuits operate with minimal transparency and routinely deny defendants basic legal protections.”
Coptic Solidarity Launches Australian Campaign to Free Egyptian Christian Imprisoned for Leaving Islam
by @Rod_Lampard@CoptSolidarity (CS) is formally petitioning the Australian government to help free Said Mansour Abdelrazek (Rezk) from an Egyptian prison.The Christian… pic.twitter.com/AyNBQYPL0T
— The Canberra Declaration (@TheCanDec) January 8, 2026
Other prisoners have indeed faced extended pretrial detention and minimal access to attorneys.
Egyptian law requires all citizens to display their religion on their legal documents — with only Islam, Christianity, and Judaism being officially recognized.
Roughly 90 percent of citizens are Sunni Muslims, while 10 percent are Christians — with the vast majority of them belonging to the Coptic Orthodox Church, according to a 2023 report from the U.S. State Department.
International Christian Concern said that converting from Islam is not technically a crime in Egypt, but is still heavily discouraged.
The ministry said that “advocates and family members” of Abdelrazek “describe the case as emblematic of the risks faced by religious converts in Egypt, where apostasy — leaving Islam for another faith — is not formally codified as a crime but is often prosecuted under broadly defined security charges.”
Open Doors noted that although Egypt’s Christian community has endured for millennia, believers in the nation face and a constant threat of persecution.
Even when the government allows Christians to operate more freely, Muslim citizens impose their own pressures.
“In Egypt, most persecution happens at the community level, such as harassment of Christian women or mobs expelling Christians after alleged blasphemy. These kinds of incidents are a particular problem when Islamic extremists are present,” the group noted.
Christians in rural areas also face heightened targeting by their neighbors.
But the persecution is indeed most severe when a former Muslim converts to Christianity.
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