Fiancée of Egyptian convert facing death penalty urges US and Netherlands to intervene
Said Abdelrazek is jailed in Cairo after trying to update his religious status on official documents, facing terrorism charges that carry the death penalty.
Arrested after attempting to update identity documents
Egyptian Christian Said Mansour Rezk Abdelrazek, 30, faces a potential death sentence or 25 years in prison in Cairo. Police arrested Abdelrazek in Cairo's Matariya neighborhood on July 15, 2025, shortly after he sought to change his official identity papers to reflect his Christian faith.
Egyptian prosecutors are seeking the maximum penalty in the trial. According to Washington-based advocacy group Coptic Solidarity, the formal charges against Abdelrazek include membership in an outlawed terrorist group, contempt for Islam, spreading false information, and stirring public disorder.
Defense attorney Said Fayez stated following a November 3 hearing that the alleged terrorist group does not exist. Fayez declared that the real reason his client is on trial is his refusal to renounce Jesus Christ.
Requests for diplomatic intervention in Washington and The Hague
Abdelrazek's fiancée, Sophia, a dual Australian-Egyptian citizen, has appealed to the governments of the Netherlands and the United States. Sophia suggested that Dutch authorities consider trading her fiancé for Ahmed Nasser, an Egyptian national arrested in the Netherlands on suspicion of intimidating dissidents for Egypt.
Sophia explained that the proposal represents a humanitarian favor and emphasized that the couple does not plan to reside in the Netherlands or seek public funds there. The request comes as Cairo presses Dutch officials to release Nasser.
Regarding Washington, Sophia urged the United States to condition its roughly $1.5 billion in annual military assistance to Egypt on Abdelrazek's release and better treatment for religious minorities. The couple had planned to marry at the Australian Embassy in April 2025, but postponed the ceremony due to health issues.
From the Sermon on the Mount to a prison cell
Raised in a Muslim family, Abdelrazek embraced Christianity around 2016 after reading the Sermon on the Mount in an open Bible at a neighbor's shop. A Protestant Baptist church baptized him around 2017. The teachings found in Matthew 5 marked the beginning of his faith.
When he made his conversion public, his mother reported him to state security, and his wife at the time left him, taking their son. A 2023 arrest over online videos resulted in a one-year prison sentence.
After his release, he traveled to Russia, applied for asylum, and joined the Russian Orthodox Church. Despite receiving refugee status from the UN refugee agency, Russian authorities jailed him for 11 months, stripped his protection, and deported him to Egypt in 2024.
Upon his return to Egypt, Abdelrazek endured physical torture and forced conversion attempts, remaining tied to a wall during his initial detention. Captors attempted to remove his cross tattoo and brought Muslim clerics to pressure him.
He is currently held in 10th of Ramadan Prison. His family is barred from visiting or providing food, forcing his fiancée to pay roughly 11,000 Egyptian pounds per month to smuggle food and medication into the facility.
Abdelrazek has a history of heart conditions and relies on a coronary stent. His lawyer has been allowed to visit him only once, in January, and his legal team reports being denied access to the case files. A petition organized by Coptic Solidarity demanding his release has gathered over 35,000 signatures. The defense is scheduled to present its arguments on December 8.
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