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Egyptian Coptic Christians carry the coffin of a victim of sectarian clashes during a funeral in Cairo on May 8. (-/AFP/Getty Images)
One hundred and ninety people will appear before a military court accused of taking part in a sectarian clash which saw hundreds of Muslims lay siege to a Christian church in Cairo over the weekend.
The announcement follows an emergency Cabinet meeting in response to the clashes earlier on Saturday.
Ten people were killed in the violence and a further 186 injured when hundreds of Muslims from the ultraconservative Salafist sect stormed the Coptic Saint Mena Church in the Imbaba slum district of Cairo. Six of those dead were reported to be Muslims.
The violence was in reaction to rumors that a Christian woman who was in love with a Muslim man and wished to convert to Islam was being held against her will in the building.
The protests turned violent after members of the Coptic church barricaded themselves in the building. Part of the church was set ablaze and witnesses were quoted as saying that people on the top of the building were firing into the crowd.
The country has seen increasing sectarian tensions. A suicide bomber killed 21 people in a church in Alexandria on New Years Day.
Egypt’s Coptic Christians make up 10 percent of the population and have previously complained of discrimination.
In a statement issued on Facebook, the ruling armed forces said that the swift action was geared toward enforcing security following the deposition of former president Hosni Mubarak and before democratic elections this fall.
“The Supreme Military Council decided to send all those who were arrested in yesterday’s events, that is 190 people, to the Supreme Military Court,” the announcement said.
It added that the move should act as a “deterrent to all those who think of toying with the potential of this nation.”
A committee will be set up to assess damage and restore places of worship to how they were, the statement said, warning of “severe dangers facing Egypt during this phase.”