Families of 21 Copts killed in Libya by Islamic State militants will be offered 200.000 Egyptian pounds ($3280) in compensation, Egypt Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab announced on Monday. Mahlab described the 21 Copts beheaded by Islamic State militants as martyrs. Accordingly, the Egyptian government, represented in the Egyptian Ministry of Social Solidarity will offer the families 100.000 pounds in addition to a martyr pension. In addition, EgyptKuwait Holding Company will offer an additional 100.000 pounds in favour of the families of the 21 Copts. This comes after the Egyptian prime minister had received Monday a phone call with Moataz Al-Alfi – Chairman of EgyptKuwait Holding Company (EKH) – who announced his company's donation of 100.000 pounds to the families of the IS victims beheaded in Libya. Al-Alfi has also vowed to offer various job opportunities for the families in EKH's branches inside and outside Egypt. EgyptKuwait Holding Company was established in 1997 by a consortium of prominent Kuwaiti and Egyptian businessmen, including former Chairman, the late Nasser Al-Kharafi. EKH enjoys investments in 18 companies across 4 countries; Egypt, Kuwait and South Sudan. The 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians, who had gone to Libya in search of jobs, were marched to a beach, forced to kneel and then beheaded, according to the video, broadcast on Sunday evening via a website that supports Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
