Geneva 2511112014 Human Rights Council Forum on Minorities seventh session Systematic violence against Copts in Egypt Thank you, Mr. President My name is Medhat Kelada, President of the European Union of Coptic Organizations for Human Rights and the Middle East Organization for Human Rights, Switzerland, I represent Minority Original People. The population of the Copts about 18 million people in addition to the two million living abroad Europe, America, Canada and Australia. Copts suffer from ethnic and religious discrimination and persecution for successive governments since the 1952 revolution and yet reached the peak of this persecution of last year, when the Muslim Brotherhood, burned 84 churches and looted and burnt 1970 homes, 16 pharmacies and burnt 3 ships in addition to schools and institutions belonging to Copts No criminals have been taken to court and most of the perpetrators who have been arrested were released one way or another escaped punishment. Attacks on Copts by terrorist groups are continuing. For nearly thirty years kidnapping of minor girls is continuing, and since the revolution of January 2011, the kidnapping of men, children and young Coptic have become source of income for extremist groups Statistic showed the kidnapped Copts so far reached 78, the ransom paid so far to the kidnapers exceeded 8 million pounds, mostly in southern Egypt in Nag Hammadi and Assiut in total absence of a security.