Christian converts still face discrimination, arrests in Egypt, US State Dept. confirms

Summary

A U.S. State Department report submitted to Congress and published in June 2026 says that Christians in Egypt experienced some improvements in quality of life under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, while Christian converts and other religious minorities continued to face legal and social discrimination during 2025. The report estimates that Christians comprised about 10% of Egypt’s population in 2022, while acknowledging that reliable figures are difficult to establish because converts may have trouble changing their official religious status. It also says authorities continued enforcing blasphemy provisions, including Article 98(f), disproportionately against Christians and others expressing minority religious views. The article highlights the detention of Said Mansour Rezk Abdelrazek, a convert from Islam who was arrested after posting content about his conversion and efforts to amend his legal religious status. It also mentions the arrest of Christian author Augustine Samaan over online comments characterized as defaming Islam. At the same time, the report cited the licensing of thousands of churches, the absence of reported sectarian violence against Christians, and reconstruction of an evangelical church in Minya as positive developments. Christians nevertheless remain underrepresented in Egypt’s cabinet, governorates, senate, universities, and senior public-sector positions, especially in sensitive fields such as the judiciary, national security, and civil service.