Subject: Urgent Appeal for the Release and Protection of Mr. Said Mansour Rezk Abdelrazek

In International Advocacy Program

Dear Minister Burke,

We write on behalf of an international coalition of human rights organizations, religious freedom advocates—including members of the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Roundtable—and independent experts to respectfully urge the Australian Government to take immediate humanitarian and diplomatic action on behalf of Mr. Said Mansour Rezk Abdelrazek, an Egyptian national and Christian convert who has been arbitrarily detained in Cairo since 15 July 2025 for exercising his fundamental right to freedom of belief.

The IRF Roundtable is a broad, nonpartisan coalition of civil society organizations and individuals committed to advancing freedom of religion or belief worldwide. We are deeply concerned that Mr. Abdelrazek’s continued imprisonment reflects a persistent and alarming pattern of religious persecution in Egypt, particularly against individuals who convert from Islam.

Mr. Abdelrazek converted to Christianity in 2016 after years of personal reflection. Since that time, he has endured severe and sustained persecution by Egyptian authorities, including repeated arbitrary arrests, torture and ill-treatment, forced divorce, separation from his young son, and continuous surveillance. His experience starkly contradicts Article 64 of Egypt’s Constitution, which states that “freedom of belief is absolute,” yet in practice denies that right to those who leave Islam.

In 2018, Mr. Abdelrazek attempted to flee Egypt and seek asylum in Russia. Although initially blocked and mistreated by Egyptian National Security, he eventually reached Russia, where he formally joined the Russian Orthodox Church and applied for asylum. Despite holding documentation from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) confirming that he qualified for international protection, he was deported back to Egypt in 2024 in violation of the principle of non-refoulement.

Upon his return, Egyptian authorities detained him again, subjected him to abuse, and coerced him into undergoing painful procedures to remove a Christian tattoo. Mr. Abdelrazek later reported that during detention he was suspended for hours at a time in a so-called “crucifixion” position. These acts raise grave concerns under the Convention Against Torture, to which Egypt is a party since 1986.

On 15 July 2025, Mr. Abdelrazek was arrested once more in Cairo’s Matariya district after seeking legal avenues to update his official identity documents to reflect his Christian faith. He was subsequently charged before the State Security Prosecution with serious offenses, including “joining a terrorist organization.” The conflation of religious conversion with terrorism represents an extreme and dangerous criminalization of freedom of belief. His lawyers have been denied access to his case files, and he has reportedly been deprived of basic necessities, including medication and clothing.

Mr. Abdelrazek’s case exemplifies Egypt’s failure to uphold both its constitutional commitments and its international obligations under treaties including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

This case bears particular relevance to Australia. Mr. Abdelrazek is engaged to an Australian citizen and resident, who has been seeking his safe release and reunification. We understand that the Australian Department of Home Affairs acknowledged receipt of his XB (subclass 202) visa application on 8 May 2024, yet no substantive action has followed. Australia therefore has a clear humanitarian interest and a meaningful opportunity to intervene.

In light of the above, the IRF Roundtable respectfully urges the Australian Government to:

  1. Grant Mr. Abdelrazek humanitarian or protection status, enabling his safe relocation and reunification with his fiancée in Australia;
  2. Press Egyptian authorities, through bilateral diplomatic channels, to immediately and unconditionally release Mr. Said Mansour Rezk Abdelrazek; and
  3. Raise his case at relevant international forums, including the United Nations, emphasizing Egypt’s obligations under international human rights law.

 

Australia has long been recognized as a principled defender of human rights and a refuge for individuals fleeing religious persecution. Decisive action in this case would reaffirm that commitment and send a clear message that freedom of belief must be real, universal, and protected.

We thank you for your attention to this urgent and deeply troubling matter and stand ready to provide any additional information that may assist the Government in its consideration.

Respectfully,

 

ORGANIZATIONS

  • AMERICAN MUSLIM AND MULTIFAITH WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT COUNCIL
  • ASSYRIAN INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL
  • CAIRO INSTITUTE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS STUDIES
  • CANBERRA DECLARATION
  • CHRISTIAN EMERGENCY ALLIANCE
  • CHRISTIAN FREEDOM INTERNATIONAL
  • CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY NATIONAL AFFAIRS OFFICE
  • COPTIC SOLIDARITY
  • GLOBAL WOMEN CHRISTIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EMBASSY
  • INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
  • JUBILEE CAMPAIGN
  • MUSLIMS FOR PROGRESSIVE VALUES
  • PATH OF YAHRA INTERNATIONAL SPIRITUAL SOCIETY
  • SET MY PEOPLE FREE
  • COORDINATION DES ASSOCIATIONS ET DES PARTICULIERS POUR LA LIBERTÉ DE CONSCIENCE
  • INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
  • INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF HUMAN RIGHTS
  • IRAQI CHRISTIAN RELIEF COUNCIL
  • PRAYER PIONEERS
  • JIMENA: JEWS INDIGENOUS TO THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
  • FREEDOM HOUSE
  • CHRISTIAN SOLIDARITY INTERNATIONAL

 

INDIVIDUALS

  • Fazal-ur Rehman Afridi , President, Institut de recherche et d’études stratégiques de Khyber (IRESK)
  • David Alton, Professor, Lord Alton of Liverpool, Independent Crossbench Member of the House of Lords, United Kingdom
  • Jamil Ammar, Professor of Law, Head of Business Programs – triOS/Eastern College
  • Nahren Anweya, President – Department of Humanity
  • Dogan Bermek , President- Alawi Philosophy Center Association, Turkey
  • Sam Brownback, Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, 2018-2021, Co-Chair, IRF Summit
  • Lauren Homer, President- Law and Liberty Trust
  • Dede Laugesen, President- Save the Persecuted Christians
  • Kurt Mahlburg, Senior Editor; Programs Director, The Daily Declaration; Canberra Declaration
  • Scott Morgan, Co-Chair of the Africa Working Group- International Religious Freedom Roundtable
  • Eva Miskelova, Path of YahRa International Spiritual Society
  • Heidi Nicholl, Associate Professor and President -The Humanist Society of Victoria.
  • Patrice J. Pederson , President- First Freedom Foundation
  • Nina Shea, Director-Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom
  • Massimo Introvigne, CESNUR, Torino, Italy
  • Archbishop Prof. Dr. Thomas Paul Schirrmacher
  • Juliana Taimoorazy, Founder & President- Iraqi Christian Relief Council
  • Frank Wolf, Member U.S. Congress (Virginia), 1981- 2015, retired
  • Ambassador (ret.) Alberto M. Fernandez, Washington DC
  • Uzay Bulut, Journalist

 

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