Sudan acquits pastor in trial of Christians charged with capital crimes

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqaMPk0ql5EMYNd4Di1rizE32ewhuKSQ-NHWStudaPUU8hOXbnpMcnCfGs5S9qeRaLDQEjv0_Ye09Y5E7vZlHjEsop2QNqZuSQI3ukfuol5SfCnpYOYM8hh_wkazVab9-EOQUMoZFxugg/s1600/The+Rev.+Hassan+Abduraheem+and+Rev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Rev. Hassan Abduraheem and Rev. Kuwa Shamal" border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqaMPk0ql5EMYNd4Di1rizE32ewhuKSQ-NHWStudaPUU8hOXbnpMcnCfGs5S9qeRaLDQEjv0_Ye09Y5E7vZlHjEsop2QNqZuSQI3ukfuol5SfCnpYOYM8hh_wkazVab9-EOQUMoZFxugg/s400/The+Rev.+Hassan+Abduraheem+and+Rev.jpg" title="Rev. Hassan Abduraheem and Rev. Kuwa Shamal" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rev. Hassan Abduraheem and Rev. Kuwa Shamal</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">A court in Khartoum, Sudan, on Monday released <a href="http://deathpenaltynews.blogspot.fr/2016/12/two-christian-pastors-facing-death.html" target="_blank">a pastor from prison after acquitting him of charges punishable by the death penalty</a>, sources said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rev Kwa (also transliterated Kuwa) Shamaal, head of missions of the Sudanese Church of Christ (SCOC), was acquitted of charges ranging from spying to inciting hatred against the government. He had been arrested without charges from his home on 18th December, 2015.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Yes, he was released today after the court found that he was not guilty of the charges brought against him," said attorney Muhanad Nur, part of the team of lawyers defending Shamaal and 3 other Christians.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The court also charged Kwa's colleague, Rev Hassan Abduraheem Taour, and 2 other Christians, Czech aid worker Petr Jasek and Abdulmonem Abdumawla of Darfu, with crimes against the state that carry death penalty.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The charges include espionage, waging war against the state and gathering false news information, as well as inciting hatred between classes. Abdelrahim Tawor was also arrested from his home on 18th December, 2015.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After the 2 pastors' arrest a year ago, Rev Shamal was released on 21st December, 2015, but was required to report daily to the offices of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), a requirement that was removed on 16th January last year. He was re-arrested on 25th May.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rev Shamaal and Rev Taour were charged with trying to tarnish the image of Sudan's government by collecting information on persecution of Christians and genocide in the Nuba Mountains. The charges included collecting information for "other parties hostile to Sudan". They were accused of conducting intelligence activities and providing material support for Nuba rebels in South Kordofan under 2 charges that carry the death penalty - waging war against the state (Article 51 of the Sudanese Criminal Code) and spying (Article 53).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Similarly charged are Czech aid worker Jasek and Abdumawla, who initially said he was Muslim but later admitted he was Christian. He was arrested in December, 2015, after he began collecting money to help a friend, Ali Omer, who had needed treatment for burns suffered in a student demonstration. Abdumawla contacted Abdelrahim Tawor, who donated money for Omer's treatment, which apparently raised the ire of Sudanese authorities, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Prosecutors have charged Mr Jasek, also arrested in December, 2015, with "tarnishing Sudan's image" by documenting persecution. He is also charged with waging war against the state, reportedly based on an accusation that he gave money to "some individuals" in South Kordofan in 2012, allegedly including some rebel fighters.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At one hearing, NISS official Abbas el Tahir accused the defendants of conducting "hostile activities against the state that threaten the national and social security" in Sudan, according to Netherlands-based Radio Dabanga.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Since 2012, we banned organizations or individuals working against Sudan," El Tahir reportedly said. "However, these NGOs still work and plan to threaten the national security and harm the society's interest."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He accused aid organisations of publishing false reports against Sudan.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Attorney Nur said he is hopeful that the other defendants also will be released soon. The next court hearing is scheduled for 9th January.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Foreign diplomats and international rights activists have taken notice of the case since Morning Star News broke the story of the arrest of 2 pastors in December, 2015. Their arrest is seen as part of a recent upsurge in harassment of Christians.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Most SCOC members have roots among the ethnic Nuba in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan's South Kordofan state, where the government is fighting an insurgency. The Nuba along with other Christians in Sudan face discrimination, as President Omar al-Bashir has vowed to introduce a stricter version of sharia (Islamic law) and recognize only Islamic culture and Arabic language.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Al-Bashir in connection with war crimes in Darfur. Due to its treatment of Christians and other human rights violations, Sudan has been designated a Country of Particular Concern by the U.S. State Department since 1999, and the US Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended the country remain on the list in its 2016 report.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sudan ranked 8th on Christian support organisation Open Doors 2016 World Watch List of countries where Christians face most persecution.</div><br />Source: sightmagazine.com.au, January 3, 2017<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">⚑ | Report an error, an omission; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: <a href="mailto:deathpenaltynews@gmail.com">deathpenaltynews@gmail.com</a>.</div><br /><table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0px solid rgb(255, 204, 0); color: black; text-align: center; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/WebDPN/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4sspwgGptzvuHVklum5TwxKppRN-lIC5TN8RLZFq_B4ZOtBrX1ssXPNKQ6XpSyQFRJRtVQN45HMkpt3VX0JtOW0TovwxZAurG-AV6gh98IAXo7Ip6QlpkZr9WrM3_m943Mwy-gGxBAY/s1600/Find+us+Facebook.jpg" /></a></div></td> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://twitter.com/WebDPN" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULIPEaT_P6oIauxAZd17XRRxljesDLS7iIjdQXT7Xct99uHeohx4IYmiAB6S044gTjMDGSy50sL2vDzOyPZ-3vJj9zwcYQ2rgzJh9v1-QDiunKAQtLLLqJ83s38qN3HABxGIC8GsIOD0/s1600/Find+us+twitter.jpg" /></a><span id="goog_1427852018"></span><span id="goog_1427852019"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></div></td> </tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><b>Opposed to Capital Punishment? 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Sudan acquits pastor in trial of Christians charged with capital crimes

Rev. Hassan Abduraheem and Rev. Kuwa Shamal A court in Khartoum, Sudan, on Monday released a pastor from prison after acquitting him of char...

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Two Christian Pastors Facing Death Penalty in Sudan for Their Faith: Global Petition Launched

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3VvxmKYONszg3KoeL1Ft1CXU4OK9bWhqUjT27Dc_iS_uuGlzpErgNHTKpp4VJhqXk0C3jdcHtJ3CcQqYLLp2aQD_osmeT4rAsipVomwrWjDpv80rQeyM5uTiTlIyce-2ZtQHcJgWiPr0/s1600/The+Rev.+Hassan+Abduraheem+and+Rev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Rev. Hassan Abduraheem and Rev. Kuwa Shamal" border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3VvxmKYONszg3KoeL1Ft1CXU4OK9bWhqUjT27Dc_iS_uuGlzpErgNHTKpp4VJhqXk0C3jdcHtJ3CcQqYLLp2aQD_osmeT4rAsipVomwrWjDpv80rQeyM5uTiTlIyce-2ZtQHcJgWiPr0/s400/The+Rev.+Hassan+Abduraheem+and+Rev.jpg" title="Rev. Hassan Abduraheem and Rev. Kuwa Shamal" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rev. Hassan Abduraheem and Rev. Kuwa Shamal</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Time is running out for two Christian pastors facing a possible death penalty in Sudan, the American Center for Law and Justice is warning as it launches a global petition asking the world to help save the 2 men.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Rev. Hassan Abduraheem and Rev. Kuwa Shamal have been arrested, transferred, and re-arrested on multiple occasions this past year in the Islamic-majority country of Sudan, with government officials accusing them of national security crimes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow is arguing, however, that the imprisonment and the threat of a death penalty punishment are directly linked to the pastors' Christian faith, and has warned that if other believers don't speak up, the government of Sudan will send them to their deaths.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"They could be sentenced to hang for their faith if the world is silent," Sekulow wrote in an email, linking to the <a href="https://aclj.org/persecuted-church/save-christian-pastors-from-possible-death?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=ExactTarget&utm_campaign=d-12122016_top-PC_seg-REexBHRE_typ-PT" target="_blank">petition</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Christian Pastors Hassan and Kuwa need your voice now. Time is of the essence, as the trial continues. Our silence could be their death," he added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Other Christians facing death in Sudan are now free because you spoke out. Be heard now for these persecuted Christians."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sudanese authorities have arrested numerous Christian pastors in the past couple of years, with South Sudanese Presbyterian Pastors Yat Michael and Peter Yein Reith also facing a possible death penalty until they were freed from prison in August 2015.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The ACLJ's newest petition, which has already been signed by 56,000 people, warns that there is a "deadly crackdown" on Christians in Sudan.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The petition also notes that Abduraheem and Shamal have spent 12 months in very poor conditions, with their situation unlikely to improve unless others speak out.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Other persecution watchdog groups, such as Christian Solidarity Worldwide, have also been reporting on the case against the two pastors. Back in May, lawyers who are representing the two men noted that the clergymen are being held in small rooms "with intermittent electricity supply and limited ventilation."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Shamal and Abduraheem are reportedly both from the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan, an area which the central government has targeted since 2011 in an aerial bombardment campaign against the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, leading to many civilian deaths.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">CSW's Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said back then that the treatment of the two pastors is "indicative of a government campaign to harass and restrict the rights of the Christian community."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We urge the authorities to end the judicial harassment of the Christian community and to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief for every citizen. We also call on the Sudanese authorities to rectify any derogation from constitutional and international fair trial principles and ensure that the men are detained in a safe and habitable environment," Thomas added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Source: christianpost.com, December 14, 2016<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">⚑ | Report an error, an omission; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: <a href="mailto:deathpenaltynews@gmail.com">deathpenaltynews@gmail.com</a>.</div><br /><table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0px solid rgb(255, 204, 0); color: black; text-align: center; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/WebDPN/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4sspwgGptzvuHVklum5TwxKppRN-lIC5TN8RLZFq_B4ZOtBrX1ssXPNKQ6XpSyQFRJRtVQN45HMkpt3VX0JtOW0TovwxZAurG-AV6gh98IAXo7Ip6QlpkZr9WrM3_m943Mwy-gGxBAY/s1600/Find+us+Facebook.jpg" /></a></div></td> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://twitter.com/WebDPN" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULIPEaT_P6oIauxAZd17XRRxljesDLS7iIjdQXT7Xct99uHeohx4IYmiAB6S044gTjMDGSy50sL2vDzOyPZ-3vJj9zwcYQ2rgzJh9v1-QDiunKAQtLLLqJ83s38qN3HABxGIC8GsIOD0/s1600/Find+us+twitter.jpg" /></a><span id="goog_1427852018"></span><span id="goog_1427852019"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></div></td> </tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><b>Opposed to Capital Punishment? 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Two Christian Pastors Facing Death Penalty in Sudan for Their Faith: Global Petition Launched

Rev. Hassan Abduraheem and Rev. Kuwa Shamal Time is running out for two Christian pastors facing a possible death penalty in Sudan, the Amer...

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