A funeral was held this afternoon for a Copt who was hacked to death by an alleged Muslim extremist using a cleaver. Masses of Copts marched in the funeral procession, chanting Kyrie Eleison, (Lord have mercy), the anger of many of the mourners was palpable. The family refused to accept condolences, a practice in Upper Egypt that means they retain their right to vendetta if the killer is not handed a death sentence.
The Copt, 30-year-old Copt Kyrillos Nagah Megally from the village of Arab Mahdy in Akhmim, Sohag, some 500km south of Cairo, had died in hospital on 7 June on account of the numerous injuries he suffered during the attack three days earlier.
Megally had been attacked by Abdullah Hosni, a Muslim who has a reputation for being an extremist belonging to an extremist family from the village of Arab Mahdy. Hosni, who had just been back home earlier this week from Libya where he works, obstructed Megally’s way as the latter rode a motorcycle, pushed him off, then attacked him with a cleaver, hitting him repeatedly in several parts in his body. The bleeding Megally was quickly moved to hospital where it was found that he sustained serious injuries including fractures in the skull, brain haemorrhage and serious cuts in the tendons of his hand.
The police caught Hosni and started an investigation. His family alleged that he was mentally unbalanced, and even submitted to the prosecution a medical report issued by a private psychiatric centre to that effect.
Akhmim Prosecution, however, later announced that Hosni, who was in police custody pending investigations, had confessed his crime and admitted to getting rid of the cleaver he had used to hit Mr Megally down a water drain.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Interior declared the defendant had a criminal record.
Medhat Megally, the victim’s brother, told the media that Hosny has over the years been famous for stalking and harassing Copts. Two years ago, Medhat Megally said, Hosny attacked a Copt and was sentenced to one year in prison, but a conciliation session was held, and he got away with it. “After that he went to work in Libya and came back two days before he attacked my brother, who himself works in Kuwait, but was here on vacation and was getting ready to go back to Kuwait.”
The victim’s brother insisted that for the Megally [extended] family, the allegation that Mr Hosni is mentally deranged is unacceptable. The allegation was used years ago by culprits who committed crimes against Copts, to get away with their crimes. In recent years, however, such allegations have been refuted through medical examination and observation ordered by the prosecution.
Watani International
8 June 2022