Boutros is a young Christian man from a small village in Upper Egypt, one that has a long history of extremist violence, persecution, and displacement of Christians. He shared his family’s experiences with GCR.

“In 2019, my old brother Samuel married a girl, Christine, who was once a Muslim, but she converted to Christianity. After they got married, they left Egypt. They moved abroad and started a family, and they still live overseas. Recently, security received information about Christine’s conversion to Christianity. They learned about my brother’s marriage to her.”

On February 12, 2024, security forces stormed Boutros’s family home and arrested him, his father, and younger brother.

“We were interrogated … We were insulted and treated very poorly, even tortured with electricity. They interrogated us about my brother and his wife and wanted to know their whereabouts. They accused my brother of forcing the girl to convert to Christianity and forging the marriage certificate by changing her name to a Christian name.”

He told: the security officers insulted, humiliated, and beat them.

“My father was very tired and could not bear the torture, even fainting on occasion. My brother and I were very afraid for him, because he is older and diabetic. We weren’t sure if we’d ever come home again.”

They were released two days later:

“They had finished insulting and torturing us. After releasing us from the police station, my entire family was forced to leave our home in the village. We were displaced.

“All the time when we were imprisoned, we were praying with tears that God would strengthen us, protect us, protect my father, and save us. We prayed that we would be released from prison. God looked at our weakness and answered our prayers, and we were released.

“The painful thing for us now is that we were displaced from our home … But even amid displacement, we are praising the Lord. We thank God so much for answering our prayers, taking care of us, and protecting our sick father. All thanks and Glory be to Him.”

Source: globalchristianrelief.org