Egypt

Family of kidnapped Coptic girl appeals for intervention by president

The family of a missing Coptic girl allegedly abducted by a young Muslim man–Abdel Rahman Aly–in Beni Suef's Ahnasia Township has called for President Hosni Mubarak's personal intervention in the case.

In a letter to Mubarak, the family said the return of their daughter–20-year-old Iman Ramsey, who disappeared on Friday as she was leaving a local church–was essential “in order to contain mounting anger on the part of the local population owing to the security forces' failure to respond to the family’s pleas thus far.”

While being questioned by prosecutors on Tuesday, Ramsey’s father noted that his daughter was engaged to be married, and that her wedding had been planned for July. He went on to deny the existence of any problems between his daughter and her fiancĂ©. He also told prosecutors that Aly, who has also reportedly disappeared, would regularly call his daughter on her mobile phone.

Aly’s father, for his part, told prosecutors that he and his son had had an argument on the day of the latter’s disappearance, noting that Aly–who works in the Red Sea resort city of Hurghada–was also engaged to be married. He went on to dismiss the possibility that his son was involved in the girl's disappearance.

Security forces, meanwhile, have imposed a security cordon around Aly’s home after a number of threats were received by his family.

The Coptic Church's Beni Suef Diocese declined to comment on the affair, stressing that the issue was still under investigation and that church officials were “awaiting the prosecution’s final decision.”

Members of Ramsey’s family threatened to stage a protest in front of Ahnasia's local police station in the event that Ramsey was not returned within the next 24 hours.

Translated from the Arabic Edition.

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