An MP of the Dutch Parliament, Don Ceder, utilized Coptic Solidarity’s recent report, Hidden Crimes, Public Deception: The Epidemic of Abductions and Forced Disappearance of Coptic Women and Girls, to raise questions with the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs regarding the abduction, forced conversion, and forced marriage/abuse of Coptic women and minor girls in Egypt.
March 28, 2025
Submitted by: Don Ceder, Member of Parliament
Addressed to:
C.C.J. Veldkamp, Minister of Foreign Affairs
In the House of Representatives
2025Z05942
Questions from Member Ceder (Christian Union) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs regarding the report by Coptic Solidarity “Hidden Crimes, Public Deception” (submitted March 28, 2025).
Question 1:
What is your response to the report “Hidden Crimes, Public Deception” by Coptic Solidarity?
Question 2:
Are you aware of the reports of the disappearance and/or abduction of Coptic women and girls in Egypt, which are accompanied by forced conversions to Islam, forced marriages, and sexual violence, as described in the report? What do you know about the efforts of the Egyptian government to protect this group?
Question 3:
What is the Netherlands doing to stand up for the rights of these women and girls from a specific ethno-religious group?
Question 4:
Are you willing to contact the Egyptian authorities about this gender-specific religious violence and urge the prosecution of the perpetrators? If not, why not?
Question 5:
Do you also see a role for the Special Envoy for Religion or Belief in this matter? If so, what role? If not, why not?
Question 6:
How is the care for women and girls who are found and returned? To what extent is this care comparable with other countries, and are there best practices known for proper support? Do you see opportunities to urge the Egyptian authorities to guarantee the safety of returned women and their families?
(Referenced report: Coptic Solidarity, 2025, “Hidden Crimes, Public Deception”)
(https://www.copticsolidarity.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/hidden-crimes-public-deception-report-f-branded.pdf)
Question 7:
Are you aware of the difficulties Coptic women experience when trying to report violence, as mentioned in the report? Do you see opportunities to address this issue with the Egyptian authorities to ensure that Coptic women, girls, and their families are in no way hindered from reporting to the police and justice system?
Question 8:
Are you aware of retaliatory attacks and assaults committed against Copts, where the Coptic community receives little or no protection, as described in the report? How many Copts have died in recent years as a result of specific attacks/retaliation targeted at this group? Do you believe that enough is being done to protect this group? If not, what steps would you like to take?
Question 9:
Are you willing to urge the Egyptian authorities to annul conversions to Islam and marriages when they have taken place under coercion? Do you see this problem in other countries as well? Are there best practices known for how to deal with this? What role could the Netherlands play in this?
