Christian
Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) can confirm that Czech Christian Petr Jašek is being
tried jointly with Reverend Hassan Abduraheem, Reverend Kuwa Shamal and Mr
Abdulmonem Abdumawla in Sudan.
Mr Jašek is
charged with the propagation of false news (Article 66 of the Sudanese Criminal
Code). He is also accused, along with Reverend Hassan Abduraheem Reverend Kuwa
Shamal and Mr Abdulmonem Abdumawla, of at least seven crimes, including waging
war against the state (Article 51 of the Sudanese Criminal Code) and espionage
(Article 53), which carry the death penalty as the maximum sentence.
As with
Reverend Abduraheem and Mr Abdumawla, the case against Mr Jašek centres on the
provision of finances for the medical treatment of Mr Ali Omer, a young man
from Darfur who was injured in a demonstration in 2013. Mr Jašek heard of Mr
Omer’s plight during an international conference for Christian leaders in
November 2015. Reverend Abduraheem and Reverend Shamal were also attending the
conference, where Reverend Abduraheem had been invited to speak about his work
as a church leader in Sudan. During his presentation, Reverend Abduraheem
showed a picture of Mr Omer and mentioned that he had donated money towards his
medical treatment. Mr Jašek subsequently pledged to provide finances for Mr
Omer’s treatment.
In December
2015, Mr Jašek travelled to Khartoum and met Mr Omer. The meeting was
facilitated by Reverend Abduraheem and Mr Abdumawla, who is a friend of Mr
Omer’s and had been collecting finances for his medical treatment. Mr Jašek
donated $5,000 towards Mr Omer’s medical treatment, which was signed for by
Reverend Abduraheem and Mr Abdumawla. As he was leaving Sudan, Mr Jašek was
searched at Khartoum Airport by NISS agents who found the receipt for $5,000,
signed by Reverend Abduraheem and Mr Abdumawla, and arrested him. They also
confiscated personal belongings, including his mobile phone, laptop and camera.
A week after
Mr Jašek’s arrest, Reverend Abduraheem, Reverend Shamal and Mr Abdumawla were
also arrested by NISS officers. While Mr Jašek, Reverend Abduraheem and Mr
Abdumawla remained in NISS detention, Reverend Shamal was conditionally
released until May 2016, when he was re-arrested and held in the Attorney
General’s custody. Mr Jašek, Reverend Abduraheem and Mr Abdumawla were also
transferred to the Attorney General’s custody in May 2016. They were all
charged in August 2016 and their trial is ongoing.
The
prosecution alleges that the $5,000 Mr Jašek donated to Mr Omer’s treatment was
in reality support for rebel movements in the South Kordofan, Blue Nile and
Darfur regions. By framing the case in this manner, NISS has attempted to
exploit the fact that Reverends Abduraheem and Shamal are originally from the
Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan and Mr Abdumawla is from Darfur. Reverend
Shamal was not involved in fundraising for Mr Omer’s medical treatment but
appears to have been included in the case due to his senior position in the
Sudan Church of Christ, his relationship with Reverend Abduraheem and his
ethnicity.
Christian
Solidarity Worldwide’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said, “The case against
Reverend Hassan Abduraheem, Mr Abdumawla, Reverend Kuwa Shamal and Mr Petr
Jašek is an example of NISS’s manipulation of the criminal justice system to
harass ethnic and religious minorities. The evidence clearly shows that
Reverend Abduraheem, Mr Abdumawla and Mr Jašek attempted to provide medical
care for Mr Omer. As a consequence of their acts of kindness, these men have
been detained in terrible conditions and are now enduring an unjust trial.
Reverend Kuwa Shamal, meanwhile, is being targeted simply because of his
position as a senior church leader, his ethnicity and relationship to Reverend
Abduraheem. We urge everyone who is as concerned as we are about this grave
injustice to join
us in campaigning to see these men set free.
CSW urges the government of Sudan to drop the charges against these men without
conditions or delay. We also call for a review of NISS’s powers and for the end
of targeting religious and ethnic minorities in Sudan.”
Notes to Editors:
1. The charges against Petr Jašek, Reverend Hassan
Abduraheem Reverend Kuwa Shamal and Mr Abdulmonem Abdumawla include:
Waging war against the state (Article 51 of the Sudanese Criminal Code); Espionage (Article 53);Complicity to execute a criminal agreement (Article 21);Entry and photography of military areas and equipment (Article 57);Calling for opposition of the public authority by violence or criminal force (Article 63);Exciting hatred between classes (Article 64);Working for an NGO without the proper registration (Article 23 of the Sudan Voluntary Work Act);Illegally crossing from Southern Sudan into Northern Sudan (Article 30 of the Immigration Act).
2. Click
here to take action and join in CSW's campaign on this case.