By Dan Wooding, Founder of ASSIST News Service
KHARTOUM, SUDAN (ANS – August 5, 2015)
-- The South Sudanese clergymen who were on trial in Khartoum on
serious criminal charges, have been released following a court hearing
on August 5.
According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) -- http://www.csw.org.uk
-- they were the Reverends Yat Michael and Peter Reith, who faced at
least six charges, including undermining the constitutional system
(Article 50); espionage (Article 53); promoting hatred amongst sects
(Article 64); breach of public peace (Article 69); and offences relating
to insulting religious beliefs (Article 125). Of the charges, Articles
50 and 53 carry the death penalty or life imprisonment in the event of a
guilty verdict.
During today’s hearing Rev
Michael was convicted of inciting hatred and Rev Reith of breaching
public peace, but both were released on time served. In a comment to
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) Rev Michael said: “I am feeling
free because I was in jail for many months. I have become like I’m born
again.”
CSW stated that the Rev Michael
and Rev Reith were detained on 14 December 2014 and 11 January 2015
respectively. Until 1 March, they were held incommunicado by the
National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), after which they were
transferred to the Attorney General’s custody, charged with the six
crimes and brought before court.
Since being moved to the maximum
security Kober Prison on 6 June, the pastors had not been allowed
visits from their families or legal team, despite repeated appeals, and
could only consult with their lawyers briefly prior to court hearings.
However, on August 3, Rev Reith
was permitted a telephone call to his lawyer and informed him that
although he was suffering from malaria and a chest infection, his
condition had somewhat improved.
On August 4 came reports the
cases of eight Christian women accused of dressing indecently were being
transferred to a different court following procedural irregularities by
the trial judge.
CSW’s Chief Executive Mervyn
Thomas said, “We are overjoyed at the clergymen’s release from prison.
While we welcome this news, we remain concerned at the irregularities in
their case and the ongoing harassment of Christians in Sudan that
results in court cases such as this against the pastors and the young
women, who were arrested on public indecency charges and could still
face lashes.
We will continue to advocate for
them and for all others who are being targeted on account of their
faith. We continue to urge Sudan to uphold its constitutional guarantees
for freedom of religion or belief and its responsibility to promote and
protect this right under international law, in order to preserve
Sudan’s pluralism and diversity.”
Photo caption: Reverends Yat
Michael and Peter Reith, the South Sudanese clergymenwho were on trial
in Khartoum on serious criminal charges, have been released following a
court hearing on August 5 (Photo: Christian Solidarity Worldwide)
About
the writer: Dan Wooding, 74, is an award-winning author, broadcaster
and journalist who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents,
and is now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he
has been married for 52 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter,
and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He has written some 45
books.
** You may republish this and any of our ANS stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net)
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