Criminals have threatened to seize a piece of land owned by Fayez Demian Hermina, a Coptic resident in the village of Saksaka in Tema, Sohag, Upper Egypt.
A. D., the daughter of Fayez’s brother, told MCN that on Monday, her uncle received threats from the Mekki family to pay 70,000 EGP as a royalty to avoid an attack on the family and its agricultural land.
“Members of the Mekki family originally gave him 15 days to pay a royalty of 50,000 pounds, or else they would come back and seize the land again. This was two weeks ago. Yesterday, we were surprised when they raised the royalty from 50,000 to 70,000 EGP, an amount that we must pay within three months. They did not give any reasons for increasing the royalty,” she added.
A. D., the daughter of Fayez’s brother, told MCN that on Monday, her uncle received threats from the Mekki family to pay 70,000 EGP as a royalty to avoid an attack on the family and its agricultural land.
“Members of the Mekki family originally gave him 15 days to pay a royalty of 50,000 pounds, or else they would come back and seize the land again. This was two weeks ago. Yesterday, we were surprised when they raised the royalty from 50,000 to 70,000 EGP, an amount that we must pay within three months. They did not give any reasons for increasing the royalty,” she added.
Fayez’s niece noted that the criminals threatened that they must pay the money if they want to live safely.
Sources from the Hermina family told MCN that the agricultural land of Lutfi Hermina, who was killed, has been leased to a Muslim man in the village because the criminals blocked water from reaching the land, threatening it with desertification.
The sources added that fear has prevented the Hermina family members from cultivating the land since its owner was killed. The criminals responsibly are still free and not one of them has been brought to trial or held accountable for his crime, despite dozens of complaints being filed accusing certain people of committing the crime.
Lutfi Khalaf Hermina, who belongs to the same family, was killed last May 22, following an assault on him by a member of the Muslim Shaalna family. They had asked him to leave his land and when he refused, an altercation broke out. Hafez Khalifa, a member of Shaalna family, shot Lutfi in the heart and he died on the spot.
Sources from the Hermina family told MCN that the agricultural land of Lutfi Hermina, who was killed, has been leased to a Muslim man in the village because the criminals blocked water from reaching the land, threatening it with desertification.
The sources added that fear has prevented the Hermina family members from cultivating the land since its owner was killed. The criminals responsibly are still free and not one of them has been brought to trial or held accountable for his crime, despite dozens of complaints being filed accusing certain people of committing the crime.
Lutfi Khalaf Hermina, who belongs to the same family, was killed last May 22, following an assault on him by a member of the Muslim Shaalna family. They had asked him to leave his land and when he refused, an altercation broke out. Hafez Khalifa, a member of Shaalna family, shot Lutfi in the heart and he died on the spot.