Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has learned that Pastor Hafiz Mengisto, leader of the Khartoum Bahri Evangelical Church, and the church's lawyer Mohaned Mustafa are on trial charged with obstructing a public servant from performing the duties of his office.
Pastor Mengisto and Mr Mustafa were arrested on
1 July, when police officers arrived at
Khartoum Bahri Evangelical Church in the early hours of the morning to execute
a court order to demolish a building on the church’s property.
Approximately 300 police officers
closed the road leading to the church in order to oversee the demolition. When
Mr Mustafa and Pastor Mengisto noted that the engineers were dismantling a
building that was not stipulated in the court order, they informed police
officers, who responded by arresting both men.
While Mr Mustafa was transferred
directly to the police station in a police car, Pastor Mengisto was handcuffed
and taken on foot through a busy market place between the church and police
station. Pastor Mengisto also sustained injuries to his head and ear while in
police custody and required medical attention upon his release. Both men were
charged with obstructing a public servant from performing the duties of his
office then released on bail.
The trial began on 14 December and is
due to continue later this week with evidence from prosecution witnesses.
Khartoum Bahri Evangelical Church is
part of the Sudan Evangelical Presbyterian Church (SEPC) denomination. The
church is embroiled in a legal dispute with government-backed Muslim
businessmen. The businessmen were sold church property by an
illegally-constituted committee that was authorised to administrate on behalf
of the church by a March 2013 Order issued by the Ministry of Endowments and
Religion, the body that governs religious affairs in Sudan.
In August 2015, Khartoum Administrative
Court restored
administrative powers to the official lands and buildings committee of the
SEPC denomination.
CSW Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said,
“We are deeply concerned by the spurious charges brought against Pastor
Mengisto and Mr Mustafa as they attempted to prevent the police from executing
a court order incorrectly. The mistreatment of Pastor Mengisto in police
custody is deplorable, and the trial of Mr Mustafa, a respected human rights
defender, is clearly an attempt by the authorities to discourage lawyers from
assisting religious minorities. We call on the Sudanese authorities to drop
these charges immediately and unconditionally. We also call for an
investigation into Pastor Mengisto’s mistreatment, which violates his inherent
dignity as a detained person as guaranteed by Article 10 of the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Sudan is a party. We
also appeal to the international community, in particular the African Union, to
hold Sudan to its obligations under international law.”