Christian convert in Egypt faces life in prison for leaving Islam

(LifeSiteNews) — An Egyptian man who converted to Christianity faces a lifelong prison sentence after leaving Islam.

Said Abdelrazek is facing lifelong imprisonment for promoting ideas and beliefs that are allegedly “harmful to national unity and social peace” as well as “showing contempt for Islam and challenging its fundamental principles.” However, human rights organizations like Amnesty International and Coptic Solidarity report that he is being unjustly persecuted for his conversion to the Christian faith.

The 30-year-old Egyptian converted from Islam to Christianity in 2016. According to Amnesty International, Abdelrazek was targeted by Egyptian authorities through surveillance and arbitrary arrests. Abdelrazek fled to Russia in 2018, where he obtained temporary protection status for a year and sought asylum for a longer period. Russian authorities deported him to Egypt in 2024, where he was arrested upon arrival at the airport by Egypt’s National Security Agency (NSA). He was taken to an undisclosed location for 10 days, where he was reportedly tortured, including attempts to remove a tattoo of a large cross, causing him severe pain by suspending him in a “crucifixion” position for hours. NSA officers also pressured him to reconsider his conversion and provide information about other converts.

In May 2024, he filed an application for a humanitarian visa to Australia, which has not been granted to date. Abdelrazek was arrested in July 2025 after he tried to change his legal documents to show that he is Christian and has been in custody ever since.

His trial began on April 21, 2026, and the latest trial day was September 6, when the court heard the prosecution’s witnesses. The court has adjourned the case until October 21, when the remaining witness will be heard. He is being accused of spreading ideas “harmful to national unity and social peace” as well as “showing contempt for Islam and challenging its fundamental principles.”

Coptic Solidarity writes: “By framing the expression of religious beliefs as a threat to national unity and social peace, the prosecution turns the exercise of freedom of religion and conscience – particularly by a convert from Islam – into a potential criminal offense.”

If convicted, Abdelrazek could face life in prison.

The conditions at 10th of Ramadan prison, where he is currently being held, are reportedly “abusive.” Amnesty International writes that the jail has “extensively documented cruel and inhuman detention conditions,” including “severe restrictions on movement, sunlight, and family contact.”

Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have called for the immediate and unconditional release of Said Abdelrazek, whom they maintain is solely being detained and charged for converting from Islam to Christianity.

Coptic Solidarity said that at the heart of the case lies the question of “whether an Egyptian citizen can freely leave Islam, embrace Christianity, and express his beliefs without being treated as a threat to the state.”