Excerpts:

Release International report on Bishoy Boulos, a Christian convert who remains in jail for reporting attacks on churches and trying to change his religious ID.

Bishoy Armia Boulos is also known by his former Muslim name, Mohamed Hegazy. He was arrested on December 4, 2013, in the Egyptian city of Minya.

The security service claimed he was working for The Way TV, a Coptic, Christian-owned, US-based religious television channel. They accused him of contributing to a 'false image' that there was violence against Christians in Minya.

The charge asserted that reporting the burnings of churches and attacks against Christians would in some way 'harm the national interests of the state'.

Two related charges were dismissed on appeal. Bishoy should have been released in May. But then a second charge was levelled against him of blasphemy against Islam. And that case is still under investigation.

'Bishoy's continued detention probably has more to do with his earlier conversion from Islam than to any alleged offence connected with reporting,' says Paul Robinson. Robinson is the Chief Executive of the UK-based Release International, which supports persecuted Christians around the world.

Cornelis Hulsman: This is very likely.

Born in 1982, Bishoy converted to Christianity in 1998. After his conversion he was arrested several times and tortured to try to make him recant his faith in Christ.

He received international media attention in 2007 as the first Egyptian Christian convert to file a lawsuit to try to change his religious status.

As a result, he was threatened with death. Islamic scholars demanded his execution and the Minister for Religious Endowments publicly affirmed the legality of executing Muslims who converted to Christianity.

Bishoy's wife, Christine, also changed her faith. According to press reports, parents on both sides of the family threatened to kill the couple, who have been ostracised by other family members. They had to go into hiding with their daughter, Miriam.

Cornelis Hulsman: AWR has documented much of the media attention on Mohamed Hegazy. I am, based on interviews with a number of converts, weary of claims made but have not dug into the Mohamed Hegazy story and thus cannot comment on the various claims made in his case.

Also reported on October 5:

http://www.christianexaminer.com/article/egyptian.christian.journalist.s...