Christian couple convicted of attempted conversion granted bail

A Christian couple that were convicted of attempted conversion and sentenced to five years in prison in Uttar Pradesh, India, have been granted bail.

Sheeja and Jose Pappachan were granted bail by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on 5 and 6 February, respectively, and are expected to be released once the necessary documentation has been completed.

The couple was sentenced on 22 January under Section 3 of Uttar Pradesh’s Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, which prohibits religious conversion through force, misrepresentation, coercion, or other fraudulent means.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘CSW is glad that Mr and Mrs Pappachan have been granted bail, but we reiterate that they should never have been charged or sentenced in the first place. We continue to call for their full acquittal, and urge the authorities in Uttar Pradesh and nine other states in which anti-conversion legislation is currently in force to repeal these laws with immediate effect.’