E/CN.4/1995/91 page 34 Egypt In a communication dated 21 October 1994 addressed to the Government of Egypt, the Special Rapporteur transmitted the following allegations: "The Special Rapporteur has been informed that acts of violence committed by Islamic fundamentalist groups have greatly increased in number. They allegedly committed 137 assassinations in the course of 1993, the main targets being representatives of the State, the national security forces, Egyptian Coptic Christians and foreigners. Since March 1992, more than 138 policemen have reportedly been killed by Muslim extremists. On 13 May 1994, for example, three policemen are reported to have been killed and another injured in the region of Asyut in Upper Egypt. In 1993, at least 26 civilians were allegedly killed in bomb attacks by extremists, who also claimed to have carried out the attempted assassinations of Prime Minister Atef Sedky, in November 1993, the Minister of the Interior, Hassan Al-Alfi, in August 1993, Army General Othman Shahine in Cairo in July 1993 and the Minister of Information, Safwat Al-Scherif, in April 1993, as well as the assassinations of Abdel Halim Ghobara, Qena Governorate Deputy Director of Security, Brigadier-General in August 1993 and Mohamed Abdel Latif El-Shimi, Asyut Governorate Deputy Director of Security, Brigadier-General, in April 1993. The Copts are said to be regular victims of violence, attacks and killings (dozens of killings were reported for 1992-1993). The Rapporteur was informed of the following cases: on 3 January 1993, a Coptic church was allegedly burnt down at Dairut. Next day, in the same town, a Coptic share-cropper is reported to have been murdered and a Coptic pharmacist seriously injured. In September 1993, a Coptic jeweller was allegedly murdered and robbed of his gold. In April 1993, at Asyut, Muslim extremists reportedly tried to kill a Coptic writer, Shehata Guirgis. Two young Copts, Adil Bushra Agab (22 years of age) and Rafiq Atif Ibrahim (20 years of age) are reported to have been murdered in the streets of the town of Meir on 26 February and on 1 March 1994, in an attack by Muslim fundamentalists on the Monastery of the Virgin in the province of Asyut, a priest, a monk and three visitors are reported to have lost their lives while three other persons were seriously injured. The priests are apparently regularly subjected to threats and demands for money by Muslim fundamentalist groups. The military personnel assigned to protect the Coptic churches in the Governorate of Asyut and Al-Minya in Upper Egypt were reportedly withdrawn following numerous fatal attacks on the soldiers by the Muslim fundamentalists of the Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya movement. The Copts would seem to be in an unsafe position, but the necessary preventive measures have not always been enacted or implemented, any more than have proceedings against the perpetrators of the violations. Pastor Williams (35 years of age), a member of the Assemblies of God of Izbit-al-Sabh, was allegedly subjected to three unsuccessful