SUDAN – Another two Christian pastors have been arrested without charges
Rev. Rata and Rev. Taour have been arrested and are being held against their will in an undisclosed location by Sudan’s NISS (National Intelligence and Security Service) agents. As no one has been able to communicate with them since their arrest, serious concerns are now being raised about their physical condition and legal status.
Although 45 days (the statutory limitation in Sudan) have elapsed, charges have still not been filed against either of the men though both are still in prison. A local source said that Rev. Rata was initially taken into custody on “religious charges” but it is rumoured that he may now be charged with espionage.
Sudan has a history of arresting Christians on bogus charges. The same method was used a year ago in early 2015 by the Sudanese authorities when they arrested two other Christian pastors, Rev. Yat Michael and Rev. Peter Yein Reith on trumped-up spying charges. Both clergymen were eventually released after spending 8 months in jail following an international outcry.
In 2014, there was the horrific case of Meriam Ibrahim, a Sudanese Christian who was sentenced to death on alleged “apostacy” charges when she married a Christian. Meriam had to give birth in prison but was eventually released after hundreds of thousands signed petitions and started an international campaign on her behalf.
ACN Malta
