Twenty-one Coptic Christians were the victims of a massacre in Kosheh, Upper Egypt, located 450 kilometres south of Cairo, on Sunday, 2 January 2000.

[citation needed] In October 1998, an article by Christina Lamb in London's Daily Telegraph reported that some of the arrested Copts had undergone mock crucifixions and that Metropolitan Wissa faced possible execution.

As a result, Coptic groups in the West began to push for the US Congress to include Egypt among nations that discriminate against Christians.

However, two days later on Sunday 2 January 2000, riots spread violence into neighbouring villages and lead to the murders of 20 Christians.

[citation needed] On 1 December 2000, a criminal court in Sohag Governorate released without bail all 89 defendants charged in the New Year's massacre in Kosheh.

The Pope of Alexandria Shenouda III rejected the verdict openly, and told reporters "We want to challenge this ruling.

"[4] Metropolitan Wissa of el-Balyana (Abydos), whose diocese includes Kosheh, called the ruling "A shame that defames the reputation of Egypt and an invitation for more violence".

[3] Six days following the acquittal of the defendants, the homes of four Christian families in Kosheh were set to fire and completely destroyed.

One of the homeowners who reported the arson to the Egyptian police was tortured and forced to sign a statement prepared by a public prosecutor charging him with perpetrating the whole incident.