Cairo - For the first time in three years, Hussein Bakhit, a 20-year-old student from Cairo, can leave his house without worrying about being stopped by the police.

Bakhit will also be able to resume his studies for a degree in social sciences at Helwan Univerity, south of Cairo. He will be able to apply for a passport and, perhaps, to travel.

In short, as Bakhit put it, he will become a "first-class Egyptian citizen" again.

Basma Moussa is similarly anxious to drive her car after many years. She will be able to go to the bank and check her balance. She will be able to ask about her aging mother's pension.

Bakhit and Moussa are among some 2,000 Egyptian adherents to the Bahai faith whose lives came to a near halt nine years ago, when the Egyptian Interior Ministry introduced computer-generated identification cards.

The ministry's Civil Status Department decided to stop issuing or renewing official documents for Egyptian Bahais unless they agreed to change their religious affiliation in public records to one of the three state-recognized religions: Islam, Christianity and Judaism.

Without state-issued identification cards, Egyptians cannot access such civil services as education or healthcare. They cannot deal with banks, and they cannot obtain a driver's license.

On Monday, however, Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court upheld Bahais' right to obtain official documents and identity cards, although their religion is officially not recognized by the state.

The court, whose verdicts are not subject to appeal, ruled that Bahais can opt to leave blank the field where Egyptians would normally mark "Muslim," "Christian," or, in rare cases, "Jewish" when filling out applications for birth certificates, driver's licenses, and national identification cards.

"I am totally happy with the verdict. At last we are able to gain the fruits of our patience and perseverance," Moussa, who is a leading activist for Bahai rights in Egypt, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa on Tuesday.

The court also ruled that Bakhit should be allowed back into his university, after having been suspended during his first year of studies when his identification card expired.

In a third ruling, judges at the court found that 14-year-old twins Nancy and Imad Raouf Hindi, were entitled to a birth certificate. Without one, they had been unable to attend school.

Hossam Bahgat, executive director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), the group which brought the case to court on behalf of the Bahais, on Tuesday hailed the court's ruling as "a major victory for all Egyptians fighting for a state where all citizens must enjoy equal rights regardless of their religion or belief."

The Bahai religion was founded in the 19th century and named after its founder, Bahau-Allah, of Persia, whom Bahais regard as continuing the line of Judeo-Christian prophets that Muslims believe ended with Mohammed.

A lower administrative court had also ruled in favour of the Bahais in January 2008, but two Islamist lawyers appealed that verdict. Many Egyptian Bahais say they have faced discrimination, verging on intimidation from conservative Muslims, who view Bahais as infidels.

"I have been unfairly forced to lose three years of my life, but I accept that," Bakhit told dpa. "My only comfort is that I have been faithful to my beliefs. I was able to hold on to them and resist all pressure to convert to another religion." (dpa)