Egypt: Italy to 'defend' rights of Christian convert "and welcomes Hegazi" 

AKI 

Rome, 21 August (AKI) - Italy's Foreign Ministry has instructed the country's embassy in Cairo to monitor closely the plight of an Egyptian man, Mohammed Hegazi, who has received death threats following his conversion from Islam to Christianity.

Hegazi, a journalist and political activist, is in hiding together with his wife Katarina, who is four months pregnant.

Hegazi's case "would not be taken lightly", Italian deputy foreign minister Ugo Intini was quoted as saying by Milan- based daily Corriere della Sera on Tuesday.

"We will act, so as to defend human rights and freedom of religion", Intini said.

Last year Italy granted political asylum to an Afghan man, Abdul Rahman, who converted to Christianity and who could have been executed in Afghanistan for renouncing Islam.

Hegazi's case first came to light when he asked the Egyptian Interior Ministry to change the religion in his identity card, only to have his request refused.

While some 10 million Egyptians are Coptic Christians, Muslims who convert to Christianity or to other religions are branded as apostates, and according to some interpretations of Islamic law, can be punished with a death sentence.

While Egypt's top Muslim cleric, the Grand Mufti, has said that apostasy is not punishable "in this world" fundamentalists have often threatened to kill those who abandon Islam.

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