The Egyptian Ministry of the Interior has been urged to launch an urgent and transparent investigation into raids conducted by police in Al-Minya on September 23, in which members of the Coptic community were harassed and assaulted, their homes and property destroyed, and 12 people were detained.
The raids occurred after members of the Coptic community protested outside the police station, demanding police action over the abduction of a Christian woman. According to the police, some of the protestors threw Molotov cocktails at the police station, leading to the arrest of over 30 protestors.
In the early hours of the following morning, police stormed the homes and properties of local Copts, destroyed property and physically abused residents, including an elderly woman and children, referring to them as infidels. They also tied up a number of men and detained 12 people, allegedly on spurious grounds. Those detained have since been released.
