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Seventeen suspects in sectarian violence detained Among those arrested is the man who alleged his wife was being held in Saint Mina Church, sparking the violence
Polices forces, in coordination with military troops, have arrested 17 more suspects in Saturday's sectarian violence, including those accused of being the main instigators of the violence in Imbaba. One of the detainees is 31-year-old driver Yassin Thabet. He claimed that his wife, whom he said had converted to Islam seven years ago, was kidnapped inside Saint Mina Church in Imbaba. His allegation caused Copts and Muslims to exchange gunfire, Molotov cocktails and stones Saturday. Another church in the same district, The Virgin Mary, was set ablaze by angry crowds later. Governor of Giza Ali Abdel Rahman stated Sunday that there was no woman held captive in the Saint Mina Church as alleged. Egyptian authorities first arrested and referred 190 to a military court on multiple charges in the wake of the violence. Investigation and interrogations are still underway. Initial media reports alleged that the hardline Salafists, who have hit the headlines for the wrong reasons since the January 25 Revolution, were responsible for spurring the attack on Saint Mina Church.
