London (CNN) -- Coptic churches around Europe are expressing fears for their safety following a New Year's Day attack on a church in Egypt that had been listed on an Islamist website.
The same site, which is affiliated with the al Qaeda terror network, listed 16 Coptic churches in Europe, including four in France and three each in England and Germany.
Germany's Federal Office for Criminal Investigations (BKA) said it has notified state authorities of a general terrorist threat against Coptic Christians living in Germany. A BKA spokeswoman said they issued the notification after the threats were discovered on the site.
"It's up to the state authorities to decide how they react to such a threat," said spokeswoman Barbara Huebner, without going into detail about the threat.
France has heightened security around 19 Coptic churches ahead of January 7, the date when Coptic communities celebrate Christmas, a spokesman from the French National Police said.
French anti-terror police have begun an investigation into the threats made against Coptic churches in their country after a Coptic priest near Paris made a formal complaint, a spokeswoman for the Paris police said. CNN
