Journalist Ashraf Helmy, who resides in Australia, issued a strongly-worded statement holding the security authorities in Minya Governorate responsible for the repeated assaults on the Copts of Tal Al-Qibliya village in Abu Qurqas district. These attacks have been perpetrated by extremists, with the most recent incident occurring this morning, Wednesday, July 8, as Copts were leaving the church.

Helmy noted that these extremists had premeditated the assault, as they cut off the electricity supply to the church at the same time they attacked the Copts upon their exit. They prevented the congregation from leaving and vandalized the priest’s car.

He called on the Ministry of Interior and the Governor of Minya to investigate the security leaders who have failed to take the documented complaints regarding the assaults and harassment against the Copts seriously and have neglected to investigate them thoroughly. Furthermore, Helmy urged the security officials to swiftly apprehend the extremists, take legal action against them, and ensure they face the harshest penalties to prevent such attacks from recurring in the future.