By BosNewsLife Middle East and Africa Services

CAIRO, EGYPT (BosNewsLife)– A young Coptic Christian man has died from gunshot injuries in Egypt’s capital Cairo, after three local hospitals turned him away, Christians said Tuesday, January 6.

Ihab Ghattas, 23, reportedly died on New Year’s Eve from a gunshot wound to the head because of “negligence” as the hospitals which refused to treat him, said Copts activist group Maspero Youth Union (MYU).

He was shot outside Mar Girgis (St George’s) Church in the Ain Shams area of Cairo after celebrating mass by suspected supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood movement, MYU said in published remarks.

Ghattas was allegedly denied access in one hospital because it was deemed not to be an emergency, while another cited “a lack of beds.”

The third hospital refused to treat him due to the absence of an intensive care unit, the MYU said.

BLEEDING FOR HOURS

A fourth hospital, St. Peter’s in Heliopolis, admitted him but he died soon afterwards, news reports said.

However doctors could no safe his life as he had been “bleeding for three hours”, Christians said. MYU has demanded an investigation, but it was not immediately clear Tuesday, January 6, when and if authorities will search for the attackers.

Muslim Brotherhood supporters reportedly fired birdshot at St. George’s Church, after which a group of young people from the church, including Ghattas, had joined police in defending it.

News of the latest killing overshadowed Coptic Christmas, which was celebrated in Cairo and other areas Tuesday January 7 by Egypt’s Copts, who comprise 10 percent of Egypt’s population.

MORSI TRIAL RESUMES

The tensions came before the trial was scheduled to resume Wednesday, January 7, against Egypt’s democratically-elected President Mohamed Morsi, who was ousted in a military coup last July.

Morsi is accused of inciting the killing of anti-government protesters in 2012, as well as other alleged crimes.

But supporters from his Muslim Brotherhood movement insist Morsi is still Egypt’s legitimate leader, and they have accused Christians of supporting his ouster.

Demonstrations turned also violent after Friday prayers last week and at least 17 protesters were killed, reporters said. At one point, Morsi’s supporters were seen using a hijacked bus to try to break through police lines, according to witnesses.

(BosNewsLife, the first truly independent news agency covering persecuted Christians, is ‘Breaking the News for Compassionate Professionals’ since 2004).

Please help BosNewsLife to be the voice of the voiceless, also this New(s) Year . Click here for a subscription.

Follow BosNewsLife via Twitter