CAIRO — For decades, Egyptian regimes have robbed the Shiite Muslim minority of their right to practice their religion freely and publicly, fearing this would lead to the spread of Shiism in the predominantly Sunni country, at a time when their sense of belonging has also been in question.

Egyptian Shiites have been subject to persecution, detention and imprisonment. On May 18, the prosecution accused Shiite leader Al-Taher al-Hashimy of attempting to spread Shiism, disturbing social peace and conducting covert activities, according to a statement Hashimy emailed to Al-Monitor after his release.

Hashimy was detained and interrogated for three days and released after paying a bail of 1,000 Egyptian pounds (about $131), pending trial, the statement read.

On May 12, a physician was sentenced to six months in prison for practicing Shiism, according to a statement released by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR). He was found guilty of blasphemy, attempting to cause sectarian strife, as well as threatening national security by attempting to spread Shiite ideology.