VOM: Egypt & Kenya

Egypt: Christian prisoner endures brutality

It has recently been reported that Bishoy Armia Boulous (formerly known as Mohammed Hegazy) is now enduring an overextended prison sentence with frequent assault. According to Bishoy’s present lawyer, Karam Ghobriel, jailers at Tora Prison have been beating Bishoy several times a week and ruthlessly dragging him across a concrete floor. These jailers have been humiliating Bishoy in an apparent attempt to pressure him to renounce his faith.

When authorities were initially informed that Bishoy was trying to document Christian persecution, he was sentenced to imprisonment for “spreading false information” intended to “harm the public interest.” While his one-year sentence for this charge had expired in December, he still remains in detention.

Bishoy is also awaiting trial for a blasphemy charge in connection with his attempt to change the religious status of his ID card to Christian. His lawyer has filed a formal complaint about Bishoy’s mistreatment and ongoing detention to Egypt’s attorney general, Hasham Barakat.

Kenya: Al Shabaab leaflets warn of more attacks

Members of the Somali Islamic terror group, al Shabaab, have been dropping off leaflets in various areas of Kenya warning of future attacks on Christian schools inside the country, similar to the April 2nd massacre at Garissa University College in which almost 150 people were tragically killed. Kenyan officials are presently in the process of increasing security measures and investigating the origin of the leaflets.

In the past, representatives of Al Shabaab had clearly stated that their goal is to force Kenya to cease its war on Somalia’s militants. However, in the process, this group has intentionally targeted innocent Christians, waging horrific persecution that has terrorized all the residents of eastern Kenya.

– voice of martyrs