Egypt monk detained over murder of bishop

Church authorities remain silent on the matter

CAIRO: An Egyptian Coptic monk accused of murder has been detained and will remain in custody for four days pending investigations into the suspicious death of a bishop, his lawyer said on Saturday.

Bishop Epiphanius, 68, was the head of Saint Macarius monastery in Wadi el-Natrun, northwest of Cairo.

His body was found in late July in a corridor of the monastery with injuries to the head, according to the church.



Isaiah al-Makari "was presented yesterday (Friday) to the prosecutor's office (in Alexandria) and was informed for the first time of the murder charge against him", lawyer Amir Nassif told AFP.

Nassif said he expected Makari's detention to be extended for another 15 days.

Following the death of the bishop, the church announced a series of restrictive measures related to the activities of the monks.



The monks were given a month to disable all of their social media accounts, according to state media.

Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II also closed his official Facebook page.

The new measures suggest the existence of dissension within the church that could be tied to the bishop's murder

Church authorities have remained silent on the matter.