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Egyptian Christian Sentenced to Six Years for Blasphemy
By Joseph DeCaro, Worthy News Correspondent
CAIRO, EGYPT (Worthy News)-- A Christian in southern Egypt has been sentenced Tuesday to six years in prison and fined the equivalent of $840 on charges of blasphemy and contempt of Islam for simply "liking" a Facebook page, according to International Christian Concern.
Kerolos Shawky didn't intend to insult the Islamic religion, Rafla Zekry Rafla, a lawyer representing Kerolos, told ICC. He only clicked "like" on the Facebook page of "Knights of the Cross".
Rafla said Shawky didn't have have much experience with the Internet and also suffers from poor eyesight; he never had any intention of committing contempt, or even blasphemy.
Kerolos was accused of violating Article 98(f) of the Egyptian Penal Code, which prohibits "ridiculing, or insulting heavenly religions or inciting sectarian strife".
The initial accusations against Kerolos had incited local violence as Christian shops and homes were vandalized and set afire.