The trial ha resumed in Khartoum in Sudan for four Christians who are being accused of bringing Christian persecution to the attention of the public.
Last December, Fox News reported that two evangelical pastors from the Church of Christ in Sudan were abducted from their churches and thrown into jail. Moreover, Rev. Abdulraheem Kodi and Rev. Kuwa Shamal Abu Zumam, including Petr Jasek, a Czech aid worker and Abdulmonem Abdumawla were reported to be charged with numerous offenses which included waging war against the state, espionage and undermining Sudan's constitutional system.
According to Sudan Tribune, Rev Taour and Rev Shamal were charged on Sunday with "fabricating videos of incidents of claimed genocide, killing of civilians and burning of villages, besides claims of persecution of Christians in Sudan".
Two of the defendants might face death penalty if found guilty.
Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Services have accused the pastors of exposing state secrets however, theur defenders say that the said claims have been concocted and they are being persucted by al-Bashir as well as the Sudanese government. Thus, they are pleading for international community to intervene the said trial.
"We call for their protection and immediate release and urge that the U.N., U.S. government - including Congress - and other world communities demand the freedom of these two men of God and other prisoners," said the Rev. Andudu Adam Elnail, bishop of Kadugli Diocese.
"The government is not interested in the Christian religion. There is no freedom for us, we cannot build churches, we are treated as second-class citizens," Elnail lamented. "We need the international community to pressure the government of Sudan to give us our freedom of religion."
"The pastors are accused of sharing evidence of the government burning down churches in Khartoum and bombing churches in the Nuba Mountains," said Philip Tutu, a native of the Nuba Mountains, who now resides in the U.S and advocates for the rights of the Nuba people.
"The government says its security policy is to keep this information confidential to avoid pressure from the international community.
"Clearly, the pastors are unfairly targeted. The hearings are postponed repeatedly. A lot of people are showing up for the hearings and not everyone is able to attend, including some attorneys for the pastors."
The lawyers of the accused feared the governemnt retaliation and stressed that they need more action to support the pastors and protect Christian in Nuba Mountains, where ther are deemed to be "atheists."
Sources claimed that an official from U.S. State Department said they have been tracking this case and have repeatedly raised concerns about this.
"We are committed to working with countries to make tangible improvements in respect for religious freedom and continue to look for opportunities to address these issues with the government of South Sudan," the spokesperson said.
A Christian human rights organization, Open Doors USA has called the persecution of Sudanese Christians akin to "ethnic cleansing" and stressed out that the case needs the right kind of attention.
"The more influential voices that can be heard on this issue, the more likely the government of Sudan is to at least consider objections to this miscarriage of justice," said Open Doors president and CEO David Curry.
The pastors' trial is set to resume Wednesday.
After mos of detention, #Sudan Pastors Kowa Shamal & Hassan Abdelrahim have trial. Deeply concerned abt charges, 2 which carry death penalty
— David Saperstein (@AmbSaperstein) August 22, 2016
