Four Coptic Christian teenagers who were sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of contempt of religion have fled Egypt and are now seeking asylum in Switzerland. According to Daily News Egypt, the four teenagers were released from prison on bail pending retrial earlier this year. Speaking to Daily News Egypt, the teenagers’ lawyer Ehab Ramzy said that the teenagers first fled to Turkey five months ago where they received ‘support from human rights organizations.’ The teenagers then flew to Switzerland on Monday seeking asylum. “Anyone who felt he or she was in danger due to the influence of extremist ideas inside governmental institutions would do the same as these Coptic boys,” said Ramzy to Daily News Egypt. The lawyer further defended their actions, stating that the teenagers left Egypt legally as the court had not imposed any travel ban. Background In February, the Minya Juvenile Misdemeanor Court sentenced three of the teenagers, aged between 15 and 16, to five years in prison after they appeared in a video that allegedly insulted Islam. The fourth teenager was sentenced to five years in juvenile detention. While the students claimed…
Four Coptic Christian Teenagers Seek Asylum in Switzerland after ‘Insulting Islam’ in Egypt
September 7, 2016
