Egyptian prosecutors seek execution for Christian convert detained since 2025

Egyptian prosecutors are pursuing the maximum penalty for Said Mansour Rezk Abdelrazek, an Egyptian citizen who converted to Christianity. His lawyer, Said Fayez, confirmed on Tuesday that the state is seeking either execution or a 25-year prison sentence. Abdelrazek has been in Egyptian custody since July 2025.

The charges against Abdelrazek include contempt for Islam, inciting public disorder, disseminating false information, and joining a banned terrorist organization. Fayez stated that the organization is fictitious and that the case stems from Abdelrazek’s refusal to renounce Jesus. The NGO Coptic Solidarity added that authorities have not identified the group and that at least 180 other Christians face similar charges.

Abdelrazek’s fiancée, Sophia, an Australian-Egyptian citizen, met him on social media in 2021. She described the physical abuse he endured during a prior detention. "They tried to remove his cross tattoo. They tortured him. They had him crucified the whole time that he was there," she said. Authorities attached him to a wall and used psychological pressure to force a return to Islam.

Abdelrazek was baptized around 2017 after studying with a Protestant Baptist church. His conversion became public when his mother reported him to security services. He was first arrested in 2023 for posting videos about the Quran and served one year. After release, he fled to Russia, where a high court allowed him to remain, but was deported back to Egypt in 2024.

Following his return, authorities released him to family custody on the condition he would return to Islam. When he refused, they required him to attend Islamic classes. Sophia said the pressure escalated when his brother-in-law woke him for prayers by dumping water over his face. Abdelrazek moved to his own apartment to escape the environment.

Sophia was scheduled to marry him in Egypt in April 2025, but fell ill and postponed the trip. Authorities rearrested Abdelrazek after he posted online about changing his legal religious status. Sophia now pays approximately 11,000 Egyptian pounds monthly to smuggle food and clothing into 10th of Ramadan Prison, as the couple is banned from official visits.

Sophia is appealing to international partners to secure his release. She cited the roughly 1.5 billion dollars the United States provides in annual aid to Egypt and suggested Washington condition the funds on his release. She also proposed a prisoner exchange with the Netherlands, which is seeking the return of Ahmed Nasser, an Egyptian arrested for acting on behalf of a foreign power.

The defense is scheduled to be presented on December 8, 2026. Coptic Solidarity described the trial as a defining test for religious freedom in Egypt. The organization noted that other Christians, including scholar Dr. Augustinos Samaan, face imprisonment under similar legal provisions. A severe sentence would set a precedent for the prosecution of religious converts in the country.