Egypt's Foreign Ministry hailed the efforts made by Libyan authorities to return the bodies of 20 Egyptian Copts executed by the “Islamic State of Iraq and Syria” (ISIS) in 2015 and to hold the perpetrators accountable, Ahram Online reported Tuesday (May 15th).
The remains of 20 victims executed in February 2015 were repatriated to Cairo in caskets from the western Libyan city of Misrata by private plane on Monday.
The Foreign Ministry said Egypt appreciates "the strenuous efforts" of Libyan authorities, including the attorney general, forensic medicine officials, local authorities and security services, to return the bodies to Cairo.
The bodies were recovered in October after a man involved in the crime was arrested by Libyan authorities and provided information about their whereabouts.
Misrata's department of criminal investigation described the case as a "long, painful journey of hard work of troubleshooting, investigation and collection of information”.
Pope Tawadros II of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church received the remains at Cairo International Airport on Monday and held prayers for the victims. The bodies were then transported for burial in Egypt’s Minya governorate.
