The 21 Coptic martyrs were laborers—most of whom were from the village of Al-Our in Upper Egypt—who had gone to Libya to work and support their families.
In late 2014, they were kidnapped by ISIS. Their only “crime”: being Christian. Their captors held them captive for several weeks and tortured them to make them renounce their faith.
On February 15, 2015, the Islamic State released a video showing 21 men dressed in orange jumpsuits, handcuffed, on their knees, lined up on a Libyan beach, and surrounded by their executioners.
They are beheaded, and before they die, several of the martyrs whisper the words, “Lord Jesus Christ.”
In the days that followed, the Coptic Orthodox Pope, Tawadros II, declared them martyrs, and on May 11, 2023, Pope Francis announced their inclusion in the Roman Martyrology.
Three years after their assassination, and to honor their memory, the Church of the Martyrs of Faith and the Fatherland was dedicated in Al-Our.
We honor their memory every February 15.
