Police in Egypt have threatened to arrest atheists active on Facebook, while the Cabinet, along with both Islamic institutions and the Coptic Church have launched campaigns to confront atheism nationwide.
In January this year, Karim al-Banna was sentenced to three years imprisonment after a court found him guilty of contempt of religion in light of his Facebook posts.
In October 2013, Sherif Gaber was arrested for anti-religious posts on his Facebook account. Earlier in January 2013, Alber Saber, a Coptic Christian-turned-atheist, fled Egypt after he was sentenced to three years imprisonment for his anti-religious posts on Facebook.
Human Rights Watch has called on the Egyptian state to stop persecuting atheists for expressing their views online or in public.
While atheism itself is not illegal under Egyptian law, the “contempt of heavenly religions,” the desecration of religious symbols and the mocking of religious rites in public are all illegal.
Article 160 of the Penal Code states that the desecration of religious symbols is punishable by up to five years in prison and/or fines of up to LE500. Article 161 assigns the same penalties for mocking a religion or religious practices.
Article 98(F) of the Penal Code stipulates that ridiculing the Abrahamic faiths and the propagation of atheism in words, writing, or other means, is punishable by sentences of up to five years imprisonment and/or fines of up to LE1,000.
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