CSW | Oct. 15, 2019
CSW has learned that criminal charges against eight leaders of the Sudanese Church of Christ (SCOC) were confirmed on 7 October, a worrying development in the continuing judicial harassment of the SCOC.
The elected president and senior leaders of the SCOC have been charged with criminal trespass and illegal possession of SCOC properties. The men were initially arrested on 23 August 2017 and accused of refusing to hand over administrative control to an unelected church committee led by Mr Angelo Alzaki and appointed by the al Bashir government.
The case against the leaders was dismissed by the court of first instance on 9 August 2018. However, the ruling was appealed, and subsequently, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court determined that a new criminal trial should proceed.
The case was re-opened in July 2019. Lawyers working on the appeal informed CSW that the evidence used to support the higher courts consisted of documents submitted by the Ministry of Guidance and Religious Endowments, the body responsible for registering and regulating religious organisations in Sudan.
