International rights groups have expressed grave concerns at the death threats of an Egyptian judge to a Muslim-born who converted into Christianity.
A human rights organization expressed its deep concern for the safety of Christian covert, Martha Samuel Mikhail, 24 years, following the judge’s threats to kill her for abandoning Islam.
Jean Vermer, Spokesman for "Open Door", an organization for Persecuted Christians, said: "the issue of Martha confirms the extent of suffering Christian converts from Islam endure in Egypt."
The security agencies have arrested the Christian convert Martha and her husband Fadel Thabet, at Cairo International Airport while attempting to escape to Russia, on charges of carrying forged documents. This was followed by the arrest of George Hanna, known as engineer George Abyad, 67, and lawyer Massoud Girgis Massoud Fam, 55, employees of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate, at St. Mark’s Church in Alexandria. The
Prosecutors charged them with forging official documents, after the
Christian convert changed names from Zainab Said Abdel Aziz Abu Laban to Martha Samuel, case 16225/2008.
The appeals judge at Cairo Criminal Court, Abbasiya, ruled on Thursday, January 29, to release, the Christian convert and the Church’s employees, on bail of three thousand pounds each.
However, the Christian convert alleged that during the court session,Judge Abdulah Hashem, threatened ,to kill her after she refused to say that she is still a Muslim, saying: "If I had knife with me, I would have killed you now".
The "Closed Doors" organization, based in the Netherlands, said in a statement that Martha arrived at the court after being harassed for the past five years by her family and the police. "She had wanted to escape from this harassment to Russia with her husband and children, but the airport authorities detained them at Cairo airport, she has been exposed to ill-treatment and sexual abuse by prison in-mates."
"Closed Doors" made it clear that it is virtually impossible to change one’s religion from Islam into Christianity in Egypt. It quoted from a statement by Attorney Nadia Tawfiq, the defendant’s lawyer, that the judge asked her client to tells him at length her transition experience into Christianity, pointing to the "eventual evacuation of the court room and him (judge) being left alone with Martha, and telling her clearly:" In Egypt it is impossible to legally change religion from Islam to Christianity. You are a Muslim." to which the Christian convert answered: "No, I am a Christian," so he said to her: "If I had a knife I would have killed you!".
In a statement, "Closed Doors" expressed its deep concerns, of the possible detainment of the defendants, saying that in spite of the release on bail, the case is not yet over; it will resume before a different judge. However, it does not anticipate the forthcoming trial to be fairer, because it believes that all the judges are against Muslims’ conversion.