Lawyer of Eid Attia, the Coptic man accused of building a church without permit in Atfih, said that courts will be brought on April 2nd. The Coptic man was sentenced to a suspended sentence and a fine of 360,000 pounds, while 19 Muslim defendants were charged with six gathering and assaulting others and carrying weapons were fined only 500 pounds.

Misdemeanors court of Giza issued suspended sentences against all defendants in the case of Atfih church attack including one Coptic man who was accused of building unlicensed church. However, the Coptic man was fined 360.000 LE while 18 Muslim assailants were fined only 500 LE each for attacking Coptic properties. Lawyer of the Coptic man said he was shocked at the court ruling and described it as unfair.

The Halim Time & Glass Museum was opened with the participation of Abba Angelos, general Coptic bishop of America and several clergy and officials. Founder of the museum believes it is the world s first museum dedicated solely to clocks and stained glass. It s been an 11-year labor of love for hobbyist Cameel Halim, along with his wife, Hoda, and three daughters. Halim said that the museum features 1,100 clocks from around the globe and 80 stained glass pieces—some as tall as 25 feet—in a five-story building at 1560 Oak St. in Evanston.

Father Poulos Al Rayani was released today from Minya prison after he spent two years for being found guilty by court in attacking a public employee. The monk will be transferred to Youssef Seddik police station to complete the procedures of his release.

After a Coptic Smith demanded the price of his work, 3 houses of Copts were attacked in Dawar village, Behira governorate.

Egyptian Cabinet approved the disbursement of financial assistance to victims of terrorist attack on St. Mina Coptic church on December 29th.

The funeral of the latest Coptic Martyr Bassem Shehata Harzallah, was held on Sunday at his hometown of Suhag.

The Celebrity Foundation organized an international conference on the journey of the Holy Family in the presence of several experts of tourism, archeology and media.

After it was closed for 4 month, the church of St. Mary in Sheikh Alaa village, Minya, was opened to celebrate Christmas among joy of its congregations. The church has applied for legalization process according to the new law of building churches.

Egyptian president issued a presidential decree to officially appoint Youssef Absi the patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Egypt. The Patriarch who was born in Syria in 1946 was also granted the Egyptian citizenship by president Abudl Fattah al-Sisi.

Al-Azhar institute condemned the terrorist attack on the Church of Nigeria that killed and wounded 21 Christians. Statement of Al-Azhar denounced all sorts of violence assuring its rejected by Islam. It also called the international society to face these extremist groups and spread the culture of peaceful coexistence.

After the murder of two Copt by unknown gunmen next to a liquor store, police took extra security measures to secure churches of Omrania. Police moved extra security forces to secure the churches and opened investigation in the attack.

A delegation of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Luxor donated 10 tons of cement to contribute to the reconstruction and development of Sheikh Hashim Mosque in Luxor. The delegation emphasized the feelings of co-existence, love and brotherhood between Muslims and Christians in Egypt.

The Library of Alexandria organizes a lecture on the journey of the Holy Family to Egypt and the associated antiquates. The seminar is delivered by Dr. Mary Magdy, Assistant Professor, Department of Tourism Guidance, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Alexandria University. According to a statement by the Library, the lecture comes announce the acknowledgement of the Vatican to the trip of the Holy Family to Egypt as pilgrimage route.

The trial of 15 people accused of attacking in Atfih church started. A Coptic man was also charged with building a house without permit without referring to the building as a church. The church has applied to legalize the church according to the law of building churches, but all these facts were ignored.

Eid Attia, Coptic Christian man from Atfih village was arrested on charges of holding prayers without a permit in Atfih. Said Monir, lawyer of the Coptic man, said that the building belongs to the diocese of Atfih not the Coptic man. Moreover, the diocese has applied to legalize the church among other unlicensed churches in Atfih.

The prosecutor decided to detain 16 defendants in the attack of St. Tadrus Coptic Orthodox church in Atfih village. The defendants were accused of demolishing the church and attacking 3 Copts who were injured.

A large group of militants attacked a Coptic Orthodox church in the village of Kafr El-Wasalin, south Cairo, after performing their Friday prayers. The unlicensed church was built 10 years ago and Copts have been praying in it ever since. A rumor about intentions to put a bill in the church aroused the anger of the mobs, which was incited by the fanatics.

Social media activists shared a new video showing attacking of Coptic church by mob shouting: ‘we will demolish the church in all cases’. Hundreds of Muslim demonstrators attacked an unlicensed church in Atfih, south of Cairo, wounding three people.

The Supreme State Security Prosecution investigated 11 terrorists who are members in a terrorist cell that planned to target and carry out a series of attacks against churches and important installations. They were arrested as they were hiding in the Qalyubia and Alexandria governorates. Investigations revealed that a number of these elements received financial support from terrorist fugitives in North Sinai to finance their attacks.

Funeral of Tharwat Basili, the Coptic businessman, was held in the Church of the Virgin and St. Athnasius in Nasr City on Saturday. The prayers were headed by Pope Tawadros II and members of the Holy Synod in addition to thousands of the Coptic people. The body was laid in a cemetery at the church of St. Mary in Cairo next to CTV channel that he founded 10 years ago.