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Update: Egypt Orders Release of Six Young Christians Held Over TikTok Clip

Prosecutors freed the Minya villagers without bail after three weeks in custody, but the blasphemy case against them has not been closed.

By Watchman News Staff, MINYA, Egypt
Published 3:27 PM EDT, Tue October 27, 2026 · 1 min read

Map: Egypt.See where this is ›
Map: Watchman News map; data Natural Earth (public domain)

MINYA, Egypt —

Egypt's Supreme State Security Prosecution has ordered the release without bail of six young Christian men held since Oct. 6 over a TikTok video, Morning Star News reported Oct. 27. The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) confirmed the release order on Monday, Oct. 26, according to the report.

Map: Minya, Egypt.See where this is ›
Map: Watchman News map; data Natural Earth (public domain)

The six, one of them 17, are from Taha al-Aamida village in the Samalout district of Minya Governorate. Their short video acted out a scene from the 2018 Egyptian comedy film “Khalawis,” in which Muslim prisoners try to pray. After villagers reported the clip to police, the young men received threats online and were arrested. A judge had extended their detention after their first questioning.

The release is pending any further proceedings, and the charges have not been dropped. Prosecutors accuse the six of blasphemy, contempt of religion and using religion to spread extremist ideas. Before they were charged, the men deleted the video and apologized, and the local Coptic diocese held a reconciliation meeting with Muslim villagers that did not settle the matter, Morning Star News said.

The same report pointed to other Egyptian Christians facing similar charges. Said Mansour Rezk Abdelrazek, 30, a convert from Islam held since July 15, 2025, is on trial for contempt of Islam and other charges; his hearing was adjourned on Oct. 21 until Nov. 3. Amnesty International and other groups say he is being punished for his conversion and for trying to change the religion listed on his ID card. Augustinos Samaan, 37, a Coptic researcher sentenced Jan. 3 to five years at hard labor for “contempt of religion,” has an appeal set for Nov. 15 before the Court of Cassation.

Egypt ranks 42nd on Open Doors' 2026 World Watch List of countries where it is hardest to follow Christ. Watchman News first reported the Minya case on Oct. 24. Watchman News has not independently confirmed the release order beyond the Morning Star News report and the rights group it cites.

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