As the world struggles to fight back against the coronavirus pandemic, governments across the globe are searching for ways to save as many lives as they can, from instituting curfews and shutting down social clubs and public spaces to releasing nonviolent prisoners. In Egypt, the spread of COVID-19 forced the authorities in mid-March to release 15 political prisoners. Ramy Kamel was not one of them, but he should have been.
Ramy Kamel is a young Coptic Christian man considered by many global religious freedom advocates to be one of Egypt’s most prominent Coptic activists. I’ve known Kamel for more than a decade, and during that time, I’ve watched him grow into a community leader. His journey began after the Maspero massacre in October 2011 when 28 Copts were killed and over 300 were injured. Kamel survived the massacre and not in vain. Soon after, he founded a nonprofit called the Maspero Youth Union to advocate for full civil rights for Egypt’s Coptic Christian community and to document abuses against its members.
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