2 men accused of murdering 3 Egyptian Coptic monks appear in a South African court

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME
Associated Press

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Two men accused of fatally stabbing three Egyptian monks belonging to the Coptic Orthodox Church in South Africa have appeared in court. One of the two accused is a 37-year-old Egyptian national, while the other is aged 47 and a citizen of South Africa. They’ll remain in custody until their next court appearance on March 27. The two were arrested after the monks were killed Tuesday at a monastery in Cullinan, a town east of the capital Pretoria where a fourth person was also beaten with an iron rod before escaping to safety, according to police. The case has been postponed for the two to get legal representation and an Arabic translator.