Coptic Christians Condemn Kangaroo Court Conviction Of Egyptian Human Rights Advocate

 Coptic Solidarity, a group that advocates for the rights of Coptic Christians in Egypt, condemned the conviction and sentencing of Dr. Augustinos Samaan, "following a secret criminal trial that violates Egypt’s Constitution and binding international legal obligations to which Egypt is a party."

According to a release from Coptic Solidarity, an Egyptian court sentenced Dr. Samaan, a 37-year-old Coptic Christian researcher specializing in comparative religion, to five years’ imprisonment with hard labor, with immediate enforcement. The Jan. 3 sentence was issued without notification to his legal counsel or family, without public proceedings, and without granting the defense access to the case file or a meaningful opportunity to represent him.

Dr. Samaan had been held in pretrial detention on charges of “contempt of religion” and “misuse of social media” in Egypt, which largely adheres to Muslim sharia law. His family and legal team expected a detention-renewal hearing on January 6, 2026. Instead, upon arriving at court, they learned that the case had already been tried and decided in their absence. Non-Muslim Egyptians, especially Christians, are subjected to systematic persecution by Muslims. 

According to the latest report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Egypt is among the countries on a Special Watch List. The USCIRF report declared:

"In 2024, religious freedom conditions in Egypt remained poor, consistent with past years. The government of Egypt continued to systematically restrict freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for religious minority communities and individuals who express ideas that differ from the state’s interpretation of Islam. Egyptian authorities continued to enforce the criminal blasphemy statute, Article 98(f), which punishes “ridiculing or insulting
a heavenly religion or a sect following it,” including through prolonged, pretrial detention for individuals who face related accusations or charges. In January, a Nozha court sentenced composer Ahmed Hegazy to six months in prison for “contempt of religion.” Prison officials reportedly subjected Christian convert Nour Fayez Ibrahim Gerges—imprisoned in 2021 on blasphemy and terrorism charges—to abuse and torture. State security also continued to hold without trial Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo, a Yemeni Christian convert whom authorities detained in 2021 for blasphemy after he discussed his conversion online. Authorities have reportedly threatened him with forced deportation back to Yemen, where he would likely face severe repercussions for his beliefs. In July, a military court sentenced Christian conscript Yusuf Sa‘d Hanin to three years in prison for allegedly making “statements offensive to Islam” in a private text conversation."

In Dr. Samaan's case, Egyptian court officials later confirmed that it was heard on December 27, 2025, adjourned, and adjudicated on January 3, 2026—without notice to the defense and without public scrutiny. To date, Dr. Samaan’s lawyers have not been granted access to the case file, undermining the most basic elements of due process and the right to defense.

These proceedings violate Article 96 of the Egyptian Constitution, according to Coptic Solidarity, which guarantees the presumption of innocence, the right to defense, and fair-trial standards. They also contravene Egypt’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), including Article 14 (fair and public hearings) and Articles 18 and 19 (freedom of belief and expression).

Dr. Samaan was arrested in the early hours of October 1, 2025, by masked special-forces officers who confiscated his laptop, phone, books, and personal papers. Following National Security investigations—and an ordeal that reportedly included torture—he was initially charged with terrorism-related offenses before prosecutors amended the case to “contempt of religion” under Article 98(f) of the Penal Code.

“This is not a legitimate judicial proceeding—it is punishment by procedure,” according to an unsigned statement by Coptic Solidarity. It continued:  “Secret trials and denial of defense rights place Egypt in clear violation of ts constitutional and international commitments.”

Coptic Solidarity has urged legislators, governments, and international bodies to raise Dr. Samaan’s case urgently and to call on Egyptian authorities to:

• Immediately release Augustinos Samaan and overturn his conviction

• Guarantee the right to defense, transparency, and public hearings

• End the use of blasphemy (“contempt of religion”) laws to silence peaceful expression

• Uphold constitutional and international commitments to freedom of belief and expression.

An appeal hearing is scheduled for January 26, 2026. International scrutiny and diplomatic engagement are urgently needed to prevent further injustice.

Coptic Solidarity seeks to assist the Copts of Egypt, who are the native Egyptians whose religion predates Islam, and other persecuted minorities.