Yesterday 4 February the Criminal Court in Alexandria saw the first session of the
trial of Adel Soliman who is charged with killing the Youssef Lamei, a Coptic
shop owner in Alexandria.
Lamei was slaughtered on the evening of 2 January while he sat in a coffeeshop in
front of his own shop which sells nuts in one of Alexandria’s main thoroughfares,
Khaled Ibn-al- Walid street. Lamei had also used his shop to illegally sell liquor.
Liquor vendors in Egypt must hold a license to sell alcohol.
The bearded Adel Soliman, an Islamist, sneaked into the coffeeshop, came up from
behind Lamei and slashed his throat twice with a large knife. He directly fled the
scene before the victim even fell off his chair. Those sitting around, including the
victim’s two sons Tony and Peter, attempted to chase Soliman, but he swiftly
jumped into a white microbus that had stopped by, and fled the scene. The
following day the police found Soliman hiding in a non-inhabited area. He was
referred to Alexandria Criminal Court, charged with premeditated murder and the
attempted murder of the microbus driver. [https://en.wataninet.com/news-
2/crime/killer-of- alexandria-copt- caught/18463/]
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The 48-year- old Soliman, who earned his living selling ++assaliya++, a
confectionary made of molasses, on a wheelbarrow in Alexandria’s Victoria
district confessed to having killed Lamei, and openly admitted he hated Christians.
The court heard testimonies of eight eyewitnesses including Soliman’s two sons:
Tony, himself a lawyer, and Peter, as well as Lamei’s brother Magdy. Verbal
clashes occurred between Tony Lamei and the killer’s lawyer.
Soliman was unrepentant. He admitted that he hated Christians because, he
claimed, they ‘spat’ at him and cast him looks of contempt. He confessed that he
had planned to slaughter Lamei because he sold liquor; liquor is banned in Islam.
Soliman said he had warned Lamei to refrain from selling liquor but Lamei would
not listen.
“Yes I killed him, and I’d do it again if he hadn’t died. I’d kill all the liquor sellers
in the country if I had a chance,” Soliman said before the head of Alexandria
Criminal Court.
The case is still being seen in court.
Watani International
5 February 2017