No Egyptian trial in attack on Christian woman

Egyptian prosecutors have thrown out a case brought by an elderly Christian woman against several members of a Muslim mob who stripped off her clothes and paraded her naked through the streets, her lawyer said Sunday.

Last May’s assault in the central Minya province began after rumors spread that the son of the 70-yearold woman had an affair with a Muslim woman — a taboo in majority-Muslim and conservative Egypt.

Saturday’s decision by the prosecutors cited lack of sufficient evidence, accord- ing to the lawyer, Eihab Ramzy, who called it “a calamity.” Another case against the alleged perpetrators of the violence, which also targeted Christian homes, remains ongoing.

The woman, Souad Thabet, told a US-based Christian TV station that she and her family are unable to return home because of threats by Muslim extremists.

“The government is allowing the oppressors to walk free on the streets,” Thabet said.

At the time of the attack, President Abdel-Fattah elSissi called for the culprits to be held accountable and gave the military a month to restore damaged property.

Discrimination against Christians, who make up about 10 percent of the population, is much more pronounced in rural provinces like Minya, where they are a sizable minority.