Christian communities in Egypt's Luxor province are filled with fear and tension as the day of verdict approaches in a murder case involving four Egyptian Copts.

The four Copts were victims of a killing spree carried out by the 17 Muslims in July 2013. One of the victims, Emil Naseem Saroufeem, was apparently blamed by the Islamists for the death of Hassan Sayyed Segdy, and was allegedly killed in retaliation.

"There is a situation of fear and panic among all the Christians here," Fr. Moussa Nabih told World Watch Monitor on February 12. "They are afraid that violent attacks against them will recur, especially after the verdict of the next hearing. The situation has become so dangerous for us here."

The verdict against the 17 suspects is due next month, the World Watch Monitor  reported.

One of the key witnesses to the murder was Shaheed Nesemis Saroufeem, a cousin of Emil. According to the Morning Star News, two gunmen shot Shaheed on January 13 as he was returning home from the flour mill where he was working. Two men, Hassan and Mohammed Baghdadi, were named as suspects, and both are relatives of the 17 suspects in the murder of Shaheed's cousin and three other Copts. 

Hassan was arrested and eventually sent to a mental facility, while Mohammed remains at large.

Shaheed's relatives claim that the killing is a result of their refusal to drop charges against the Baghdadi brothers' relatives. A relative, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the Daily Star that Shaheed had been threatened with death since October 2014 when the trial for the murder began. However, Shaheed took no heed of the threats.

Despite the latest shooting, Shaheed's relatives are adamant about pursuing the murder case against the 17 suspects.

WWM also reported that the Egyptian Family House, an organisation created by the Sunni Islam Al-Azhar University and the Coptic Orthodox Church in 2011, is negotiating a formal reconciliation between the two parties.