Man accused of murdering Alexandria priest referred to criminal court

CAIRO – 19 April 2022: Egypt’s Prosecutor General Hamada el Sawy ordered referring the man accused of killing Priest of the Church of the Virgin Mary in Alexandria Arsanious Wadeed to the criminal court for trial.

According to the statement, the accused is facing charges of premeditated murder and possessing a cold weapon.

On April 8, Man, who attacked Archipriest Arsanious Wadeed, the priest of Church of Virgin Mary with a weapon on the street, was ordered to be Imprisonment for four days pending investigations by Egypt’s Attorney general, Hamada El Sawy.

According to a statement, the prosecution questioned the accused and listened to the testimonial of nearly 17 eyewitnesses of the incident.

The prosecution also received the reports of the Forensic Medicine Authority and the Alexandria Poison Center regarding the anatomical characterization of the victim’s body, and tested the accused for drugs.

The drug-test revealed that the accused was not on drugs.

Surveillance cameras in the street showed that the priest was in a religious sermon meeting with other people, however, after finishing the meeting, the accused came near the priest and stabbed him in his neck.

In his testimonial, the accused admitted that he committed the murder, but later retracted his confession.

According to the statement, the accused said that he came from Alexandria to Cairo several days ago searching for work, and that he was not conscious while committing the crime.

He also claimed that he suffered from mental disorders ten years ago, that affect his actions.

The prosecution ordered jailing the accused pending investigations, along with placing him under medical observation in a public hospital specialized in the mental diseases to check his mental state.

Dozens of Egyptians head, Friday to The Cathedral of St. Mark in Alexandria to participate in the funeral prayers of the Archipriest Arsanious Wadeed, the priest of Church of Virgin Mary who was killed late Thursday after a man attacked him with a weapon on the street.

After the prayers, the body was carried to the monastery of the martyr Marmina for burial, in the cemetery of the martyrs of Alexandria.

Archipriest Arsanious Wadeed, the priest of Church of Virgin Mary in Alexandria was killed late Thursday after a man attacked him with a weapon on the street.

Pope Tawadros mourned the priest of Alexandria, saying: “We bid farewell to a virtuous priest and an active servant.”