Egyptian Christians Bridle at Prison Terms for Copts Only in Fatal Clash - NYTimes.com

By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK, New York Times

Published: December 15, 2013

Three Coptic Christians in Egypt were given long prison sentences on Sunday over the death of a Muslim in a sectarian clash even though no one has been prosecuted in the deaths of at least five Christians in the same clash, raising allegations that the military-backed government was breaking its promise to curb bias against Christians.

Beshoy Tamry, a Coptic Christian activist with the Maspero Youth Union, said many Christians had hoped for more equitable treatment after Egypt's Islamist president, Mohamed Morsi, was ousted in July. "But today proved that nothing changed," he said. "The regime has not changed its system of using the judiciary against Christians."

The clashes began in April in Khusus, a town north of Cairo, after Muslim children spray-painted a swastika on the wall of an Islamic institute, according to local news reports. Some local Muslims wrongly blamed their Christian neighbors and attacked them.

At least six Muslims were convicted on Sunday of vandalizing churches and Christian property in Khusus and given sentences of three or five years. But no one has been charged in the deaths of the five Christians. By contrast, one Christian was sentenced to 25 years in prison and two others to 15 years for their roles in the death of one Muslim in the same fight, state news media reported.

Read the full report:
Egyptian Christians Bridle at Prison Terms for Copts Only in Fatal Clash - NYTimes.com