Story highlights Karim al-Banna was sentenced to three years in prison for Facebook posts insulting Islam

Human Rights Watch says al-Banna's sentence is part of an Egyptian crackdown on atheism

Egypt's Constitution provides "freedom of belief," but freedom to practice is more limited

(CNN) Egypt's Constitution states that "freedom of belief is absolute," yet it says nothing about those who don't believe.

Watchdog groups are asking the predominantly Sunni Muslim nation to reconsider its stance toward atheists after authorities arrested a student and sentenced him to three years in prison for Facebook posts that insulted Islam.

Karim Ashraf Mohamed al-Banna was arrested with a group of people at a cafe in November, according to the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression. An Egyptian minor offenses court sentenced him on blasphemy charges Saturday in what Human Rights Watch called "part of a wider government push to combat atheism and other forms of dissent."

"Atheists are one of Egypt's least-protected minorities, although the constitution ostensibly guarantees freedom of belief and expression," said Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW's Middle East and North Africa director. "Egyptian authorities need to be guided by the constitution and stop persecuting people for atheism."

While Article 64 of Egypt's Constitution says freedom of belief is absolute, it also says freedom to practice religious rituals or establish houses of worship is exclusive to Judaism, Christianity, Islam, the Baha'i faith and other Abrahamic religions.

Read More