ZAGAZIG, Egypt — Families of five jailed Christians have lost their homes northeast of Cairo, Egypt, after authorities persuaded them to turn over their property in exchange for what was supposed to be the release of relatives accused of murder.
Abdel Masih Awad Sayeed, 86, and four relatives in Sharqiyah province have been in police custody since Dec. 11, 2005. Officials detained the five after the death of a Muslim the previous day prompted rioting in the village of Kafr Salama Ibrahim. Medical examiners concluded that injuries to Mohammed Ahmad Abu Talib, received when he intervened on his son’s behalf in a fight with two Christian brothers, could not have caused his death, but the two brothers and three relatives are charged with “conspiracy to murder” Talib. The Christian brothers’ cousin, Milad Samy Zaki, said that after the fight, Talib suffered a stroke and died minutes later.
Authorities proposed that the Christians pay Talib’s family 1 million Egyptian pounds (U.S. $173,900) in compensation — half of which, the officials said, they had already paid with the destruction of their homes. The Christians subsequently signed over deeds for five of their properties on the understanding that this would fulfill their 500,000 Egyptian pound “debt” and secure their release.
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