The convicted Copts include Morris Sadek, a lawyer and founder of the National American Coptic Assembly, Father Aziz Khalil, Fikri Abdel Masih Zaklma (known as Esmat Zaklma), Nabil Adib Besada, media coordinator of the National American Coptic Assembly, Eliyah Basile (known as Nicholas Basile Nicholas), Nahed Mahmoud Metwally (known as Phibie Abdel Masih), and Nader Farid Fawzi Nicholas.
Terry Jones, the American evangelical pastor of the Dove Church in Florida, was sentenced to five years in prison.
Canadian citizen Nader Fawzy described the judicial rule issued by the Egyptian court on Tuesday as “comical,” adding, “This response was expected during the era of the Muslim Brotherhood.”
Speaking to MCN, Fawzy said that, “the verdict came to settle old scores and to calm the Muslim street,” noting that this is added to the list of persecution of Copts, even if they have left the country. “The strange thing is that I have not had Egyptian citizenship since 1992,” Fawzy continued. “I have a Canadian and Swedish citizenship.”
For his part, Cllr. Mohamed Hamid el-Gamal, former head of the State Council [High Administrative Court], said that the ruling today was upsetting.
He noted that the public prosecution should challenge the ruling before the Appellate Court, according to the Code of Criminal Procedure, to eliminate any error in judgment. If there is found to be an issue with evidence or lack of probable cause, the case will be referred to a retrial.
Cllr. Gamal told MCN that the ruling in absentia and, from what he witnessed in the court, that the criminal judge ignored several constitutional principles, including to not exceed the penal code, the accused is innocent until proven guilty and that the evidence must be consistence and certain, otherwise the mere existence of doubt is calculated in favor of the accused.
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