Unic Press UK: The Egyptian government did not protect Coptic Christians in North Sinai, the Amnesty International said in a publication on 1st March 2017.
In its report, Amnesty International accused the government of taking no action to protect Christians, who had been facing a spate of assassinations and kidnapping unleashed by armed groups over the past three years. The Egyptian authorities also failed to prosecute those who are responsible for the sectarian attacks against Christians, the international organization Amnesty said.
“This terrifying wave of attacks has seen Coptic Christians in North Sinai hunted down and murdered by armed groups. No one should face discrimination – let alone violent and deadly attacks – because of their religious beliefs,” said Najia Bounaim, Deputy Director for Campaigns at Amnesty International’s regional office in Tunis.
“The Egyptian authorities have consistently failed to protect Coptic residents of North Sinai from a longstanding pattern of violent attacks, they must not let them down further now. The government has a clear duty to ensure safe access to housing, food, water and medical and other essential services to all those who have been forced to leave their homes due to violence and persecution.
“The government must also end the prevailing impunity for attacks against Christians elsewhere around the country and end its reliance on customary reconciliation deals which further fuel a cycle of violence against Christian communities.” (Amnesty International: 01/03/2017)
Amnesty asserts that successive Egyptian governments failed to solve discrimination against Copts and failed to address rising incidences of sectarian violence through legal measure that could have brought those responsible for violent crimes against Christians to justice.
