Bishoy Armia Boulous, an Egyptian convert to Christianity who is currently serving a prison sentence, is being mistreated in prison, it was reported in mid-December.
Bishoy Armia Boulous, formerly known as Mohammed Hegazy, is being held in Tora Prison, Cairo. His lawyer has said that Mr Boulous is being held in solitary confinement in a cell designated for those awaiting capital punishment. Prison staff are abusing him verbally on account of his religion and are also abusing him physically, including breaking his glasses and making him walk barefoot to hearings in Minya Misdemeanour Court. There are unconfirmed reports that Mr Boulous has begun a hunger strike in protest at his detention and maltreatment.
After originally being imprisoned in December 2013 on allegations of ‘sectarian strife’, Mr Boulous was released then re-arrested on the same day in July 2014. He was working as a correspondent for El-Tarek TV, a Christian TV channel, when he was arrested and his camera confiscated. The arrest document from the Head of the Intelligence Police in Minya Province stated: ‘It came to our knowledge that a convert from Islam is photographing the demonstrations’. Mr Boulous’ solicitor asserts that in reality these charges were precipitated by his client’s attempt in 2007 to change his religious designation in his national ID card.
