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2017-02-09

• Life Sentence for Acts of Compassion

  On January 29th, Czech Christian Petr Jašek was sentenced to life in prison after a court convicted him of "spying." Sudan officials took notice when he provided assistance to a student from Darfur who had been badly injured at a rally. His co-defendants -- Sudanese nationals Rev. Hassan Abduraheem Kodi Taour and Abdulmonem Abdumawla -- were each sentenced to a total of 12 years in prison, mainly for helping Petr. All three believers, who were initially detained back in December of 2015, plan to appeal immediately.

  During the trial, Petr was accused of taking video footage of military installations and entering Sudan without a visa. He was also fined 100,000 Sudanese pounds (about $20,000 CAD) for doing mission aid work without a permit. In addition to Petr's severe sentencing, the three men were convicted of "spreading rumours that undermine the authority of the state" and inciting hatred. Previous reports on this case are available here.

  The court ruling has shocked many. The legal maximum penalty for "spreading rumours to undermine the authority of the state" is six months, yet the judge in Khartoum has doubled this sentence. The prosecution claimed the video was clear evidence that Petr and the two others were guilty of tarnishing the image of Sudan by gathering information on persecution of Christians and genocide. However, it was previously acknowledged through global news sources and governmental agencies that the president of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir, has been indicted for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.

  The persecution of Christians in Sudan is a valid concern -- not only in matters involving individual believers -- but additionally for the many churches in Khartoum currently under the threat of demolition. In separate cases, a Khartoum judge has ruled that the four churches presently facing demolition orders should be represented by a lawyer appointed by the Sudanese authorities, not by the churches. Such inadequate legal representation poses further mutually shared concerns for members of the 21 other churches also facing the threat of demolition.

  May God's unfailing presence -- and the resulting "peace that surpasses all understanding" -- be experienced in wonderful ways by Petr, Hassan and Abdulmonem, as well as their concerned families. Intercede for the legal team representing the three accused believers, asking that they be granted wisdom and insight from on high so the appeal will be presented swiftly and result in a favourable outcome. Pray that the light and love of our Lord Jesus will continue to shine in Sudan, touching the hearts of many -- including the country's governing officials -- so the ministry of these individuals and the many threatened churches can continue their God-ordained mandate to proclaim the "Good News" of the Gospel.

• Fatal Attacks Against Christians

  
  Ishak Ibrahim
  Photo courtesy of Ishak's family
  via World Watch Monitor

  The murder of another Christian in Egypt, this time in the centre of the capital, makes this the fifth tragic death over a 13-day period. Ishak Ibrahim Fayez Younan, 37, was found dead by his brother on January 16th at the victim's temporary residence in the old part of Cairo. He leaves behind a grieving wife and two children, ages 10 and 12.

  Ishak's death bears similarities with the other slain Christians over the two-week period. Each had their throat cut, while money and other valuables were left behind. (Although police did report that robbery was the motive behind at least one of the murders.) Ishak was murdered in the flat he rented while working at a factory that supplies soft drinks to supermarkets. His wife and two children were at the family home in El-Sheikh Zaied, a village in Upper Egypt, at the time of the attack.

  "The murderer didn't steal his money or anything from the flat, which indicates that the motive was not theft," states Ishak's brother Magdy, who immediately notified the police. Officials arrived promptly at the crime scene to conduct their investigation and take fingerprints.

  "My brother had no enemies; he was a very simple man and peaceful," explains Magdy. "He left his wife and children to work in Cairo to support them. His family will now face difficulties as he was the primary breadwinner." For more information on persecution in Egypt, please visit our Egypt Country Report.

  Ask the Lord to greatly comfort, encourage and strengthen each grieving family member, friend and fellow believer associated with those who were slain in Egypt for their faith during recent weeks. May these surviving loved ones not lose heart (2 Corinthians 4:16), but rather draw closer to Him who promises to be especially near to the brokenhearted during their time of need. Pray that they will be greatly reassured by the many promises contained in God's Word -- turning their mourning into inexpressible joy over the anticipation of being reunited with their loved ones in eternity (where they will never ever be separated again) and, most glorious of all, finally meeting their blessed Saviour face to face!

• Teens Released ''In Good Health''

  
  An Ethiopian woman with her Bible.
  Photo: World Watch Monitor

  Subsequent to their initial court hearing last September, four Ethiopian teenagers are reported to be in good health following their release from prison on December 22nd. Despite the fact that three of the girls were minors, all four were pronounced guilty in November of "inciting religious violence" for merely distributing Christian literature.

  Gifti, (14), Mihiret (14), Eden (15) and Deborah (18) served their one-month sentence at a large prison in Gelemiso alongside criminals. The Christian girls were distributing books in the eastern Ethiopian town of Babile, not far from Harar -- a city recognized by the community as the fourth holy city of Islam -- when they were arrested.

  Local militant Muslims considered the book the girls were distributing an insult to Islam. Angered over their distribution efforts, the militants led an attack upon the Protestant Meserete Kristos Church in Babile on September 19th, and instigated the arrest and conviction of the four teens. A previous report on the girls' arrest may be reviewed here.