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2017-09-14

• Church Relinquishment Ordered by Government Officials

  
  Flickr/Joe Pyrek

  On August 23rd, several Christian leaders in the city of Omdurman were arrested and imprisoned for a six-hour period. Rev. Ayoub Mattan, a moderator for the Sudanese Church of Christ (SCOC), and Kuwa Shamaal (also transliterated Kwa Shamaal), head of missions at the church, were among the Christian leaders arrested. Pastor Shamaal, who had been previously arrested on December 18th, and then acquitted on January 2nd of this year, received new charges ranging from spying to inciting hatred against the government.

• Imprisoned Pastor Facing Serious Charges

  
  Pastor Andrew Brunson and his wife Norine
  Photo: World Watch Monitor

  On August 24th, Pastor Andrew Brunson was connected via video link from the maximum-security prison where he is presently being held. The judge at the Second Criminal Court in Izmir read out allegations from the chief prosecutor's office that Pastor Brunson had obtained confidential political and military information for espionage purposes, specifically to "overthrow" the Turkish parliament and government, and thus undermine the constitutional order of the state.

• Freed Pastor Welcomed Home with Joy!

  
  Pastor Lim addresses his congregation after arriving safely in Canada.
  Photo: World Watch Monitor

  The large congregation of Light Korean Presbyterian Church in Mississauga, Canada, was ecstatic on Sunday, August 13th, when welcoming home their senior pastor, Hyeon Soo Lim, who was held for more than two years of a life sentence as a prisoner at a North Korean labour camp. The church was also crowded with media personnel recording his significant and almost unexpected return.