Egyptian Christian Held in Prison for Reporting Attacks on Church

Veronica Neffinger | iBelieve Contributor | Updated: Sep 30, 2015

Egyptian Christian Held in Prison for Reporting Attacks on Church

An Egyptian Christian who reported attacks on Christians and Christian churches continues to be held in prison.

Bishoy Boulos is a former Muslim who converted to Christianity. Christian Today reports that he was arrested in 2013 for “harming the national interests of the state.”

Recently, several high-profile journalists were released by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, but Boulos was kept imprisoned.

“Egypt must set Bishoy free and deliver on its promise to guarantee full religious freedom," said Paul Robinson, Chief Executive of Release International.

Release International believes that Boulos’s prolonged imprisonment is due to his conversion to Christianity, despite the fact that Egypt has said it protects religious freedom.

“The continued persecution of Bishoy Boulous reveals two things,' said Robinson. "The authorities are reluctant to face the truth about continuing attacks against Christians, and converts to Christianity remain at serious risk despite the country's new constitution, which is supposed to protect religious freedom.”

A second charge was leveled against Boulos that accused him of blasphemy against Islam. Boulos had tried to officially change his religious status from Muslim to Christian. He filed a lawsuit, but was then arrested, tortured, and threatened with death.

A statement from Release International said that the accusation that Boulos blasphemed against Islam is still under investigation. 

Publication date: September 30, 2015



Egyptian Christian Held in Prison for Reporting Attacks on Church