VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHEG #0053 0131539
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 131539Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7888
INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS CAIRO 000053 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
NSC STAFF FOR PASCUAL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KIRF PHUM PGOV EG
SUBJECT: EGYPT'S PROSECUTOR GENERAL ORDERS RELEASE IN 
RELIGIOUS IDENTITY CASE 
 
REF: A. CAIRO 3334 
     ¶B. CAIRO 3398 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
¶1. (SBU)  According to her lawyer, Egypt's Office of the 
Prosecutor General ordered the release on January 13 of 
Shadia Nagui Ibrahim, who was convicted of fraud on November 
21, 2007, in connection with her father's brief conversion in 
the early 1960s from Christianity to Islam (ref A).  Ibrahim, 
raised as a Coptic Christian and claiming to be unaware of 
her father's temporary conversion to Islam, stated on her 
marriage certificate in the early 1980's that she was 
Christian, leading to the recent conviction. She immediately 
began serving a three-year prison sentence and filed an 
appeal. 
 
¶2. (SBU)  Following Ibrahim's conviction, we made inquiries 
about the case to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and 
Interior and the Public Prosecutor's Office.  The Ambassador 
also raised this case with Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit (ref 
B). 
 
¶3. (SBU)  Ibrahim's lawyer, Ramses Al Najaar, told us on 
January 13 that he expects his client will be released from 
prison on January 14.  According to the El Najaar, this is 
not a final verdict and her appeal is pending, although he is 
optimistic about the outcome.  He said he believes the Public 
Prosecutor intervened to correct an injustice. He also said 
that the Public Prosecutor ordered an investigation of the 
judge who handled Ibrahim's trial and sentencing. 
Ricciardone