Ethiopian Orthodox Church members said to orchestrate new charge of ‘insulting' church.
NAIROBI, Kenya, October 8 (CDN) -
Two
Christians in Ethiopia who had been sentenced to six months of prison
on false charges of offering money to people to convert have
successfully appealed their sentence, only to be kept in prison on a
new charge.
After a lower court in Amhara state threw out their
appeal on Sept. 21, the State Supreme Court in Bahir Dar last week
ordered Temesgen Alemayehu and Tigist Welde Amanuel to be released
after paying a 500 birr (US$40) fine each, Christian sources said. But
the two Ethiopian evangelists are still in prison awaiting the result
of a new charge that fellow inmates filed for allegedly insulting the
Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC) while in prison.
Alemayehu and Amanuel, of
Wengel Lealem church in Addis Ababa, had gone to Debiretabor, Amhara
state in July to help establish a church. On July 22 they appeared at
district court in Debiretabor to hear charges against them that they
were offering money and gifts to people to change their religion;
Christian sources said witnesses falsely testified to that effect.
Members
of the EOC produced the false witnesses, the sources said. Alemayehu
stated that his only sin was telling of his faith in Christ to
interested persons and that he had a constitutional right to do so, but
the judge sentenced him and Amanuel to six months of prison.
An
appeal they filed at the high court in Debiretabor was thrown out,
forcing them to appeal to a higher court (see "Prison Terms Upheld for
Two Christians in Ethiopia," Sept. 25).
Last week, the sources
said, the regional State Supreme Court accepted their appeal, reducing
the sentence to the fine and ordering their release after they paid it;
the guilty verdict, however, remained.
Yesterday, as the
evangelists were appearing before the court in Debiretabor regarding
the decision of the Supreme Court in Bahir Dar, a new charge was
brought against them, Christian sources said: Inmates had signed a
petition asking the district prosecutor to prosecute them for insulting
the EOC while in prison.
Church leaders in Debiretabor believe that the charge was orchestrated by EOC members both inside and outside the prison.
The
judge set Oct. 14 for the two Christians to appear in court to answer
to the new charge. At yesterday's hearing the district prosecutor
opposed the release of the two evangelists, claiming they would not
appear for the next court date. The judge decided to keep them in
prison at least until the Oct. 14 hearing.
The maneuver shattered the two Christians' hopes of being released, church leaders said.
"We
are asking for the continuation of prayers," said one church leader who
requested anonymity for security reasons. "We are thinking of reporting
to the State's Supreme Court in Bahir Dar and see what would be the
next move."
Church leaders in Debiretabor said the condition
of the imprisoned Christians is worsening. Alemayehu was said to be
suffering from kidney infections and sought permission to get
treatment, but prison officials refused.
Debiretabor is the
seat for the south Gondar Zone administration in Amhara state. As in
the rest of Amhara, Debiretabor's population is predominantly EOC with
hostile attitudes towards evangelicals.
The two Christians'
arrests stemmed from a July 19 incident in which passersby began to
question them as they were preaching on a roadside. Christian sources
said a heated argument led to a group attack on the two evangelists,
wounding Alemayehu. Amanuel sustained minor injuries, the sources said.
Christian sources said a group within the EOC called "Mahibere Kidusan"
("Fellowship of Saints") had incited members to attack the two
evangelists as they were proclaiming Christ. The increasingly powerful
group's purpose is to counter all reform movements within the EOC and
shield the denomination from outside threats.
In some cases, the sources said, EOC priests have urged attacks against Christians, and government authorities influenced by Mahibere Kidusan have infringed on Christians' rights.
END
