CSW sources have confirmed that the former President of the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC), Reverend Dr Hkalam Samson, was released from prison in Myanmar/Burma on 23 July.
Reverend Dr Samson, a human rights advocate, was initially arrested at Mandalay International Airport on 5 December 2022 as he was attempting to travel to Bangkok. He was sentenced to six years in prison on charges of unlawful association, defaming the State and terrorism on 7 April 2023.
Reverend Dr Samson was released from Myitkyina Prison earlier this year on 17 April as part of a national amnesty, however later that same day he was escorted back to the prison grounds and placed in a house as a ‘guest’.
CSW’s CEO Scot Bower said: ‘CSW welcomes the release of Reverend Dr Samson, who should never have been imprisoned in the first place. He is a non-violent Christian pastor and an internationally respected human rights advocate and we urge the Myanmar military to ensure that he and his family are permitted to enjoy his freedom in peace and without fear of further legal prosecution.’
Note to Editors:
- Reverend Dr Samson served as President of the KBC from 2018-2022 and previously for two terms as General Secretary from 2010-2018. In 2019 he travelled to Washington, DC to participate in the International Religious Freedom Ministerial Conference, where he was among religious leaders from around the world who met with the United States President in the White House.