Blasphemy Cases Rise in Egypt and Christians Bear the Brunt

Maggie Michael of the Associated Press details the disturbing increase in blasphemy charges and convictions in Egypt over the past three years:

Two years ago, the military ousted the Muslim Brotherhood from power, and since then the government has been waging a harsh crackdown on Islamists.

Yet in the past three years, prosecutions on charges of insulting Islam have risen dramatically. From three such cases in 2011, there were 21 cases in the courts in 2015, around half targeting Christians, according to Ishaq Ibrahim, a researcher with the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights.

Nine of the 2015 cases led to convictions and prison sentences, while the rest are still in the courts.

You can read the full article here.

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