Young Coptic Christian Cleared of Blasphemy Charges


Bishoy Kameel Garas
Photo: World Watch Monitor

An Egyptian Copt named Bishoy Kameel Garas has been declared "innocent" after spending more than half of his six-year sentence in prison for alleged blasphemy charges, the Cairo Court of Cassation has ruled. Bishoy, who is now in his late 20s, was jailed in September 2012 for offending the country's dominant religion, the former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, and a Muslim sheikh's sister. The charges were related to Facebook posts found on a fake page opened in his name.

Despite mounting evidence weighing on the side of his acquittal, the prosecution and two lower courts insisted on condemning the Christian man, until the higher court finally declared him innocent on March 13th. All experts agree that Bishoy, now legally cleared of guilt, will not be receiving adequate compensation.

"The defendant will have his three years in jail as credit, to be debited in case he's sentenced for any future offenses," states Safwat Samaan, Director of Nation Without Borders, a human rights advocacy group. The advocate describes the situation as a "legal travesty." For a previous report on Bishoy's situation, visit this page.

  • Country Information

    Population
    109,546,720 (2023 est.)

    Ethnicity (%)
    Egyptian (99.7), other (0.3)

    Religion (%)
    Islam (90), Christianity (10)

    Leader
    President Abdelfattah Said El-Sisi (2014)

    Government type
    Presidential republic

    Legal system
    Mixed legal system based on Napoleonic civil and penal law, Islamic religious law, and vestiges of colonial-era laws

    Source: CIA World Factbook

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Egypt News

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    Photo: Christian Solidarity Worldwide

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    Photo: Flickr / Mark Fischer (cc)

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