From AFP…

Police used violence earlier this month to prevent villagers from repairing the only church in their area, a rights group said on Monday, warning of a rise in sectarian tension as a result.

On Aug. 17, “a policeman assigned to guard the Archangel Michael Church in Deshasha (Beni Sweif province south of Cairo) hit three women while they were taking sand into the church to fix the floor which was cracked as a result of water collection underneath,” the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) said in a statement.

After the incident rumors spread in the village that Copts had locked up the policeman inside the church, beat him up and tore his clothes, leading to the brief arrests of several Copts and to threats of retaliation from Muslim villagers, the group said.

“The worrying rise in sectarian tension that we have seen in Deshasha is a direct result of violations committed by the police,” EIPR director Hossam Bahgat said.

“This incident must be investigated and those responsible held accountable.”