Imprisoned Christian convert denied permission to attend Orthodox Christmas mass

A Christian convert who was falsely charged with joining a terrorist organisation after requesting identification documents which recognised his change of religion has reported that his request to attend a Coptic Orthodox Christmas mass on 7 January was denied by prison authorities in the 10th Ramadan Prison in Cairo Governorate, Egypt.

Saeid Mansour Abdulraziq met with his lawyer, Saeid Fayaz, on 13 January. Mr Fayaz reported that Mr Abdulraziq seemed to be in good spirits, and that he fully understands his legal situation and the potential outcomes. Mr Abdulraziq also informed his lawyer that he would like to be able to worship inside the prison, acquire a Bible and receive communion.

Mr Abdulraziq converted to Christianity in 2016 and joined the Russian Orthodox Church in Egypt. He endured family rejection, societal hostility and police intimidation whenever he spoke of his new faith. In 2018 he was able to travel to Russia, where he applied for asylum and began criticising Islam publicly, which angered members of some of Russia’s Muslim communities.

Fearing unrest, the Russian authorities arrested Mr Abdulraziq and imprisoned him for one year, after which his asylum was revoked, and he was deported to Egypt in 2024. Upon his arrival, the Egyptian authorities interrogated him for a few hours and released him after warning him to remain quiet and avoid proselytising.

Although Islamist extremists launched a campaign to press the authorities to arrest Mr Abdulraziq, he was allowed to walk free. He was eventually arrested by the police in Al-Matareiah police station on 15 July 2025 while requesting his new ID, and on 22 July 2025 he appeared before the state security prosecution, where he was charged with joining a terrorist organisation, stirring unrest and spreading false news.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘We welcome the news that Mr Abdulraziq was able to meet with his lawyer; however, we are concerned that he was not permitted to attend a Coptic Orthodox Christmas mass, and maintain that all of the charges levelled against him are false. We call upon the Egyptian authorities to ensure these charges are dropped and that he is released immediately, and to end all policies and practices that underpin inequality. Every Egyptian citizen should be free to practice a religion or belief of their choice without fear of official intimidation, societal threats, judicial harassment or physical harm.’