Egyptian jailed for contempt of religion

Luxor, Egypt: An Egyptian Christian has been sentenced to six years imprisonment for blasphemy and contempt of religion.

A Luxor court issued its verdict Tuesday against Kerolos Gattas, 30, after his arrest this month for posting pictures deemed insulting to Islam on his Facebook page.

Gattas’ arrest sparked fears of sectarian conflict in his village, where unidentified assailants have hurled molotov cocktails on shops owned by Christians. Local authorities beefed up security in the village on Tuesday.

The verdict can be appealed. Egypt has witnessed a rise in the number of cases of Coptic Christians — estimated as 10 per cent of the population — over the past three years.

On Monday, another Christian journalist — a convert — was been sentenced to six years in prison over his coverage of sectarian strife.