The next Wednesday, October 21, the trial against Said Abdelrazek, a 30-year-old Christian facing a possible life sentence after attempting to have his official documents recognize his conversion from Islam to Christianity, will resume in Egypt. The man has remained imprisoned since July 2025, and his case has prompted intervention from several international organizations denouncing religious persecution.
According to Coptic Solidarity, the specialized terrorism court will hear the final prosecution witnesses, after several of them appeared and were questioned by both the magistrates and the defense at the September 6 hearing.
The accused’s lawyer, Said Fayez, confirmed that the court has also authorized the presentation of oral arguments. The defense continues to examine the evidence submitted by the Prosecutor’s Office and question its validity, while insisting on the procedural guarantees that correspond to its client.
Accused of terrorism for attempting to live his Christian faith publicly
Abdelrazek converted to Christianity in 2016, after studying different religions and undergoing a long process of personal reflection. His decision to leave Islam caused him serious family, social, and legal difficulties, as well as episodes of harassment by Egyptian authorities.
In 2018 he fled to Russia, where he applied for asylum and obtained temporary protection. During his stay in that country he joined the Russian Orthodox Church, but in July 2024 he was deported to Egypt, despite warnings about the danger he could face due to his religious convictions.
Upon his return, he attempted to find a legal way to change the religion listed on his identity documents, where he was still listed as Muslim.
On July 15, 2025, security agents detained him at his home in Cairo. The Supreme State Security Prosecution then charged him with crimes such as the creation and leadership of an illegal group, its financing for criminal purposes, and the publication of content deemed offensive to Islam.
Amnesty International maintains that the charges are related exclusively to his conversion to Christianity and his attempts to exercise freedom of religion and conscience.
Egyptian legislation does not expressly criminalize apostasy, but converts who leave Islam face serious difficulties in obtaining administrative recognition of their new religion. In this context, criminal provisions on religious offenses and state security can be used against those who publicly express their beliefs.
Reports of torture and ill-treatment for their faith
The case has raised particular concern due to reports of torture against Egyptian authorities.
According to information gathered by Amnesty International, when Abdelrazek was deported from Russia in July 2024, National Security Agency agents detained him at the airport and transferred him to an undisclosed location in Alexandria, where he remained incommunicado for ten days.
During that period, according to testimonies collected by the organization, agents attempted to forcibly remove several Christian symbol tattoos he had on his arms, causing him severe pain and wounds.
He was also reportedly suspended for hours with his arms outstretched, in a position described as crucifixion.
The interrogations focused on his religious beliefs. Agents pressured him to reconsider his conversion and provide information about other Christians from Islam.
Amnesty International has called for an independent and impartial investigation into these allegations, which constitute possible serious human rights violations.
More than a year in prison and serious health problems
Since his new detention on July 15, 2025, Abdelrazek has remained held in the Tenth of Ramadan prison. His first court hearing was held on April 21, 2026, after nine months of pretrial detention.
The case has continued since then through successive postponements. In June, the prosecution witnesses and an expert who were to appear did not attend court, so their statements were postponed until September.
The detainee’s situation has also prompted complaints from human rights organizations.
In an urgent action released last May, Amnesty International warned that his lawyer had only been able to visit him once, in January 2026, and that prison authorities had subsequently prevented his family members and legal representatives from delivering food, clothing, and medication to him.
His fiancée reported that he suffered severe pain in the lumbar region and urinary tract, without the cause having been determined. In April, the defense requested an urgent medical examination, but the court rejected the request.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has also added Abdelrazek to its database of victims of religious freedom violations, identifying him as a detainee for his conversion and religious activity.
Christian organizations call for his release
The proximity of the new hearing has reactivated international calls in favor of Abdelrazek.
In a statement published on October 15, Coptic Solidarity recalled that the convert remains imprisoned while other Egyptian Christians face judicial proceedings for public expressions of their faith.
The organization has called on the governments of the United States and Australia to intervene diplomatically with Egyptian authorities.
The request to Australia has a particular reason: the detainee’s fiancée holds Australian nationality and Abdelrazek submitted an application for a humanitarian visa to move to the country in May 2024. The application has not yet resulted in a solution that would allow him to leave Egypt.
For its part, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has denounced that the accused is being prosecuted for exercising his right to change his religion and request that this decision be officially recognized.
“Every Egyptian citizen should be free to practice the religion or belief of their choice, without fear of official intimidation, social threats, judicial harassment, or physical violence,” said Mervyn Thomas, founding president of the organization.
Amnesty International demands his immediate and unconditional release and calls for him to be guaranteed access to his lawyer, medical care, and decent prison conditions while he remains detained.
The hearing on Wednesday, October 21, will be a new chapter in a process that has transcended Egyptian borders and once again highlights the situation of Christians converted from Islam, whose freedom to publicly profess their faith continues to face serious legal and social obstacles.
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