On Jan. 3, Egyptian Christian Augustinos Samaan was sentenced to five years of hard labor after he was convicted of “contempt of religion” and “misuse of social media.”

Samaan has a YouTube channel on which he posts apologetics videos comparing Christianity and Islam. Because of these videos, he was arrested on Oct. 1, 2025, and his pre-trial detention was extended in 15-day increments until the court sentenced him in January, without ever allowing his defense to see his case file.

He was convicted under Article 98(f) of the Egyptian Penal Code, which penalizes “extremist thoughts with the aim of instigating sedition and division or disdaining and contemplating any of the heavenly religions or the sects belonging thereto, or prejudicing national unity or social peace.” A five-year prison sentence is the maximum punishment under Article 98(f).

An attorney with ADF International now represents Samaan. He submitted an appeal of his conviction on April 24 of this year.

Inconsistent Application of the Law

Dozens of other Egyptian individuals of minority faiths have been imprisoned for their “blasphemous” online content since August 2025, demonstrating a trend away from equal protection under the law in Egypt.

The broad language of Article 98(f) grants the Egyptian government too much discretion to suppress the expression of minority religions. In 1982, Egypt ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which obligates it to protect the rights to freedom of expression, freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief, as well as the right to equal and effective protection against discrimination based on religion.

However, it declared, in a reservation to the covenant, that it would become a party, provided that the covenant’s provisions do not conflict with Sharia. Previous reviews in 2010 and 2014 by the U.N. Human Rights Council have noted concerns about Egypt’s treatment of religious minorities. The Egyptian government has responded with statements regarding its initiatives to protect religious liberty for all. In practice, blasphemy laws like Article 98(f) consistently discriminate against Christians.

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