Copts in Sohag have suffered from more than 130 cases of attacking the Copts and their properties. 80 Copts were kidnapped and there were 20 violent attacks as well as 30 churches that were prevented from being constructed or repaired by fanatics.
For his part, Father Azer Fahmi, priest of St. Mary Church in Usayrat village said that the Copts were banned from building a number of churches including two churches in Hadika village and Nosayrat.
A large number of Muslims gathered in front of a Coptic man's house claiming he is building a church and prevented him from building the house. Moreover, Copts in Nag Rezk in Tahta were prevented from building a church and had to travel to nearby churches that many of them were kidnapped in their way.
Father Moussa Ibrahim, priest of St. George Church in Sohag, said that militant elements of the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi group, persecute the Copts and provoke them that they can't even conduct their weekly prayers.
Copts in Nag Bak were attacked this month after they tried to hold prayers of Easter mass in one house as they couldn't build a church more than 20 years ago.
