Trial of two South Sudanese pastors begins in Khartoum
May 19, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – A Sudanese court has begun proceedings for the trial of two South Sudanese pastors accused of fomenting sedition and inciting hatred among tribes and religious sects.
Michael, a visiting pastor from South Sudan, was taken into custody on 21 December after giving a service at the Khartoum North church of the PEC.
Reverend Peter Yen was also visiting Khartoum when he was arrested on 11 January after responding to a summons to report to an office of the NISS.
The two pastors face charges pertaining to spying for foreign bodies and collecting information that undermine Sudan’s national security. Some of those charges are punishable by death.
The police investigator, Lieut. Colonel Mohamed Khair, told the court that the personal computer of the second defendant contained information and detailed reports about population, coordinates, illiteracy rate and electricity coverage in all Sudan’s states besides information pertaining to human rights situation in Sudan.
He revealed the computer also contained the special curriculum which is being taught for the NISS affiliates besides maps of security and intelligence sites and secret graphics and measurements for various states.
Last February, Amnesty International expressed serious concerns for the two pastors wellbeing in detention, saying their families have had no further contact with the men since they were taken into custody.
(ST)