JOHANNESBURG, March 22 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said Friday that two Egyptian nationals appeared in a court Friday in Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa, facing charges of murdering three members of the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church earlier this month.

"Two Egyptian nationals, a monk Saeed Basonda (37) and a priest Samuel Avamarkos (47), appeared at the Cullinan Magistrates Court, where they are facing three counts of murder," the NPA said in a statement.

It is alleged that in the early hours of March 12, the two stabbed and killed three priests at the premises of the church, where they all resided, according to the NPA.

In court, the matter was postponed to March 28 for bail information, and the NPA said it intended to oppose bail in the matter.

All three victims were found with stab wounds, while the fourth victim who survived alleged that he was hit by an iron rod on his hand before fleeing and hiding in one of the rooms, according to the South African police. Enditem

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