Minya's public prosecutor on Tuesday ordered the arrest of three Muslims accused of involvement in sectarian clashes that have been taking place in the Upper Egypt governorate for four days.
The clashes broke out Sunday and led to the death of one Copt, the injury of four Muslims and the burning of six homes.
The public prosecution ordered the immediate arrest of four Copts for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and for firing randomly at a mosque in the village of Hawarta in Minya on Sunday.
The prosecution also ordered investigations into claims by a Coptic eyewitness that ten Muslims have damaged, burned and burglarized the homes of several Copts.
On Monday, security leaders and representatives from Coptic and Islamic religious groups held a reconciliation session to solve the problem.
Meanwhile, a rights organization said Minya is being exposed to systematic attacks against Copts to alter the demographic composition of the governorate and force Copts out.
Mamdouh Nakhla, the head of Al-Kalima Human Rights Center, said he has addressed the United Nations human rights commission to examine the human rights situation in Egypt as soon as possible.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
