• 23:16
  • Tuesday ,10 November 2009
العربية

In Dalga, Minya Culprits prosecuted

By-Tereza Kamal

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22:11

Monday ,09 November 2009

In Dalga, Minya Culprits prosecuted

The brothers Nayel and Alaa’ Mansour Sahrab who last month killed one Copt and injured three others in the village of Dalga in Deir Mawwas, Minya, Upper Egypt, were last week referred by Deir Mawwas prosecution to the criminal court in Minya.
On 27 September, the Rizq family—Ashraf Maher Amin Rizq, 25; his father Maher, 50; and uncles Maurice Rizq, 55; and Hanna Rizq, 29—had been on the bus terminal in Dalga waiting to board a microbus to the neighbouring town of Mallawi. They were planning to meet the family of Ashraf’s prospective bride there. Nayel Mansour Sahrab, a microbus driver in his thirties, had an argument with them. The argument escalated into a verbal brawl; other Muslims at the bus stop joined in the fight which turned violent. The bus driver and his brother Alaa’ took out knives and stabbed the Rizqs. Sustaining various injuries, they were moved to Deir Mawwas hospital where Hanna directly met his death.
The Sahrabs were caught by the police and charged with beating the deceased to death. The police investigations confirmed the eyewitnesses’ reports.
Even though the culprits have been referred to court, the Rizqs have so far refused reconciliation with the Sahrab family until the court rules in the case. They stressed to Watani that they had no intention whatsoever of turning the case into a vendetta, but insisted on no reconciliation before a court ruling.
In the neighbouring village of Nazlet al-Badraman the Copts resumed work on renovating the bell tower of Mar-Girgis (St George) church after it was halted as a result of the rioting by a Muslim mob late last month. The Copts whose shops and cars suffered damages in the riots have been recompensed by General Mustafa Tawfiq, the previous chief of Aswan Security Apparatus and one of the elders of Badraman.