Nepal, eight Christians accused of proselytizing among the earthquake victims acquitted and freed
They were accused of having forced conversions to Christianity in schools. The judge ruled that there is insufficient evidence against them. Released pastor: "We were happy to be jailed for their faith."
Kathmandu (AsiaNews) - A court in Nepal has acquitted of all eight Christians arrested for proselytizing. The seven Protestant faithful and minister Shakti Pakhrin were released by the court Lalkaji Shrestha because the crime does not exist and were not presented sufficient evidence against them.
Msgr. Paul Simick, apostolic vicar of Nepal, told AsiaNews: "We believe in the law and the sentence has clearly established that the group was not doing anything illegal. The secular Constitution should allow anyone to practice their faith. "
After the release, pastor Pakhrin said: "God's will be done. We were glad to be jailed for their faith. The grace of God has re-established the truth. "
Č.B. Gahatraj, general secretary of the National Christian Federation of Nepal, says: "The allegations were false and the court decision proved it. Our brochures only told the story of Jesus. "
The arrest took place on the 9th June, when police stopped the group of seven faithful intent on distributing Christian religious material to children from a school in Dolakha, northern district of Nepal, among the most affected by the devastating earthquake of 2015.
A few days later, on June 14, the authorities have also ordered the detention of the Pakhrin who was already under investigation for proselytizing. Later in July the trial against the defendants began, among which there are two teachers and activists working for the association "Teach Nepal", working for reconstruction after the earthquake.
According to the new fundamental Charter of the Himalayan country, any gesture intent on evangelization is considered proselytism and prosecuted according to law. The policeman Bhim Bahadur Baruwal, who is among the agents who arrested and compiled the report against the Christians, says: "A person came to us complaining that they were preaching the gospel and forcing students to read stories from the life of Jesus. So we applied the law of Nepal. Now the court has freed them and we have no objection to enforcing the judgment”.
Fr. Boniface Tigga, superior of the Jesuits, adds: "We do not convert anyone. Rather people come to join our community because they find our way of life is better. In a secular country, people should be free to choose their own faith. The accused were not forcing anyone".
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