PRESS RELEASE Contact: Sherif Adeeb

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Phone: 202.737.3660 or 1 866.3.COPTIC

Michael Meunier to Address the U.N. High Commission on Human Rights in Geneva

Washington, D.C. (04/02/03) – U.S. Copts Association announced today that Mr. Michael Meunier, president of the association, will be addressing the U.N. this month during the 59th session of the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland. His address will focus on the plight of the Copts and the status of the protection of freedoms and human rights in Egypt.

While this is a unique platform for the often under-represented Coptic minority to voice their concerns, it is also an extension of the organization’s continuous efforts to educate the international community on issues facing the Copts within Egypt. U.S. Copts Association believes this address to be a positive step in the path to ultimately producing the necessary changes to ensure equity for all of Egypt’s citizens.

The Commission on Human Rights convenes annually in Geneva with over 3,000 delegates from various states and non-governmental organizations to address the international promotion and protection of human rights and freedoms.

“We believe this to be a historic opportunity for Copts in Egypt and the Diaspora,”said U.S. Copts Association board member, Dr. Kamal Ibrahim; “We are hopeful that this step will increase awareness in the international community regarding the violation of human rights in Egypt.”

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The U.S. Copts Association, founded in 1996 and based in Washington D.C., advocates for democracy, religious freedom, and human rights in Egypt. The Association represents over 700,000 Egyptian Christians in the United States