Persecuted Church News: Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW)

Showing posts with label Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW). Show all posts

Friday, March 16, 2012

Human Rights Watchdog Condemns the Repatriation of North Korean Refugees by China

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

NEW MALDEN, SURREY, UK (ANS) -- A UK-based Christian humanitarian watchdog has condemned China’s forcible repatriation of at least 41 North Korean refugees, a decision that disregards international refugee conventions and violates international law.

Chistian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) www.csw.org.uk says the refugees face detention, torture and even execution as illegal border-crossers upon their return to North Korea, where the regime takes a dim view of defectors. In 2010, North Korea made the crime of defection a “crime of treachery against the nation.” In a media update, CSW says that under North Korea’s new leader, Kim Jong Un, the penalties have become harsher.

“Border guards have been ordered to shoot anyone escaping across the frontier to China. In January he announced that the penalty for defecting during the official period of mourning for his father, Kim Jong-il, is the execution of the defector’s entire famil,” CSW reported.

CSW explained that international law prohibits the forcible repatriation, either directly or indirectly, of any individuals to a country where they are at risk of facing persecution, torture or death.

CSW stated that in 1988 China ratified the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which prohibits the forcible return of people to states where they face a substantial risk of being tortured. China is also a state party to the UN Refugee Convention.

CSW went on to report that despite its obligations under these conventions, China has prevented the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) from access to North Koreans in China and considers all undocumented North Koreans as economic migrants, rather than as asylum-seekers. Furthermore, China signed a co-operation agreement with North Korea in 1986 that obliges it to prevent illegal border crossings.

CSW said there are reports that a number of other North Korean refugees have been detained by China and also face repatriation.

CSW’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas, speaking in the news release, said: "China's policy of forcibly repatriating North Korean refugees is in flagrant violation of international law, which includes the principle of 'non-refoulement'.

“China claims these people are economic migrants, not refugees, but due to the consequences they face upon return to North Korea, all these people -- whether they fled for economic or political or religious reasons -- count as 'refugees sur place' under the UN's definition. Even those who fled for primarily economic reasons did so because of the regime's economic policies which are inflicting severe poverty and hunger on its people.”

Thomas added: “Whether they fled in search of food or in search of freedom, China should give North Koreans safe passage to a third country rather than sending them back to a dire fate that involves almost certain imprisonment and severe torture, and possible death.

“As a major world power, China needs to know that if it wants to be respected, respect must be earned, and with power comes responsibility. We urge China to desist from any further repatriations, and we call on Kim Jong Un's regime in North Korea not to inflict on these people the punishments that have been threatened."

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organization working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.

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For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Kiri Kankhwende, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045 / +44 (0) 78 2332 9663, emailkiri@csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk .

** Michael Ireland is the Senior International Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can make a donation online under 'Donate' tab, then look for 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' under 'Donation Category' to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' Michael is a member in good standing of the National Writers Union, Society of Professional Journalists, Religion Newswriters Association, Evangelical Press Association and International Press Association. If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior International Reporter

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Thursday, March 15, 2012

Human Rights Organization Calls for Investigation into Attack that left Cuban Pentecostal Pastor Brain Damaged

By Jeremy Reynalds
Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

"Ladies in White" are under
the siege of the Castro
regime

SURREY, ENGLAND (ANS) -- A human rights organization is calling for an investigation into a violent attack on Pastor Reutilio Columbie, 41, of Shalom Christian Center in which he suffered brain damage.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is reporting it is believed that the Feb. 6 assault was the result of the pastor's decision to challenge the arbitrary confiscation of a church vehicle by the authorities.

Columbie bought a truck from a local resident five years ago, and modified it to transport members of the Pentecostal church in Moa, Cuba.

CSW said in Dec. 2011 it was suddenly confiscated by the authorities and apparently returned to the original owner, who has family ties to an individual in the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party.

CSW said the Central Committee is the same entity which holds authority over all religious matters, including registration of church property and vehicles, through the Office of Religious Affairs.

CSW said when the pastor protested the confiscation of the church vehicle and began the process of filing a formal complaint to prove ownership, the family began to receive anonymous phone calls telling them to stop or he would pay the consequences.

CSW said on Feb. 6 Columbie left his house intending to travel to the capital of Holguin Province to file the complaint, but was found unconscious on the street a few hours later and taken to the hospital. He cannot remember anything about the attack, but the only thing missing from his possession were the papers related to the vehicle.

Columbie suffered severe inflammation of the brain as a result of the attack.

CSW said Columbie is now recuperating at home with his wife Maida Perez and their three children, but still struggles with speech and memory. His daughter says he is also frequently nauseous and dizzy. The family was promised an investigation into the attack, which never materialized. They have now been told that too much time has passed for any investigation to be pursued.

CSW's Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said in a news release, “CSW calls on the authorities to conduct a full investigation into the violent assault on Pastor Reutilio. The theft of documentation relating to the ownership of the church vehicle raises questions about the motives behind the violent assault on the pastor. Cuba lacks legislation to protect religious freedom and guarantee church property.”

Thomas added, “This, combined with the fact that all religious matters are dealt with by the Office for Religious Affairs of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party (CCP), rather than regular judicial channels, leaves religious groups and leaders vulnerable to abuse and with no means to appeal decisions. CSW continues to call for the establishment of a legal framework, independent of the CCP, to regulate religious affairs.”

Christian Solidarity Worldwide works for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.

For further information, visit www.csw.org.uk.

Jeremy Reynalds is Senior Correspondent for the ASSIST News Service, a freelance writer and also the founder and CEO of Joy Junction, New Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelter, http://www.joyjunction.org He has a master's degree in communication from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in intercultural education from Biola University in Los Angeles. His newest book is "Homeless in the City."

Additional details on "Homeless in the City" are available athttp://www.homelessinthecity.com. Reynalds lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For more information contact: Jeremy Reynalds at jeremyreynalds@comcast.net.

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Monday, March 12, 2012

Sharp Increase in Religious Freedom Violations Ahead of Pope’s Visit to Cuba

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

Cuban leader Raul Castro under
pressure to improve religious freedom.

CUBA (ANS) -- A UK-based Christian human rights watchdog is expressing concern at an apparent increase in religious freedom violations ahead of Pope Benedict XVI’s planned visit in May.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) www.csw.org.uk says that since January 1, the group has recorded 20 separate incidents of religious freedom violations, compared with 28 in all of 2011.

CSW says some incidents involve a number of people, up to 30 in one case. Religious freedom violations range from preventing people from attending church services, to the seizure of church land, and official harassment, beatings and imprisonment of church leaders.

In a media update, CSW says that a number of Catholic human rights activists, primarily affiliated with the Ladies in White movement, have been arrested or violently prevented from attending church services.

The group says that Caridad Caballero Batista, her husband and 19 year-old son have been barred by the authorities from attending Catholic catechism classes and participating in any other religious activity since January 8.

The group goes on to say that on March 4 Batista and her husband were on their way to Mass when the police, led by a State Security Officer called Yordanis Martinez Leon, took them to the police station, where they were treated roughly and detained in a badly ventilated cell for three hours.

CSW said: “The cell was full of mosquitos, with only a hole in the floor to use as a toilet. Six other women in Holguin city were also prevented from attending church services.”

According to CSW, a Baptist church in Yaguajay, Sancti Spiritus Province, is facing the threat of losing their property.

CSW states that local authorities claim that the church land was nationalized in October 1980 and they are planning to turn over the church property to two state owned companies. The pastor, Yuri Castellanos, and congregation, with the support of the denomination, which owns the church, are calling for international support in their case. The historic church building belonged to the Western Baptist Convention prior to the Revolution.

CSW adds that the pastor of a Baptist church, linked to the same denomination, in Alamar, Havana has been repeatedly fined exorbitant sums of money, equivalent to several months’ salary, since December, because his church building is not registered. However, officials refuse to process his case, and as a result, the church is in danger of being forcibly shut down. The pastor and his family have also been forced into hardship as a result of the exorbitant fines.

CSW states that Francisco Rodriguez, pastor of Cristo Rompe las Cadenas Church, also in Havana, has been harassed by the authorities in recent weeks, including threats of physical violence.

The group says: “The church is also not registered, but it is also part of the Western Baptist Convention. It is thought that the church’s ministry with vagrants and delinquents, who are mostly young people, has brought the pastor to the attention of the authorities. A member of a Cuban rap group which is openly critical of the government is also reported to be attending services at the church.”

CSW explained that the Western Baptist Convention is, together with its geographical counterpart, the Eastern Baptist Convention, the second largest Protestant denomination in Cuba. The denomination operates legally but is not part of the Cuban Council of Churches.

CSW added that large growth in all denominations and severe government restrictions on expanding or building new church facilities has resulted in the mushrooming of “house churches” linked to legal denominations and registered churches. The Second Baptist Church of Alamar and the Cristo Rompe Las Cadenas church are examples of these unregistered churches which are part of a larger, legally recognized denomination.

“The Cuban government systematically applies pressure to religious leaders to expel and shun individuals linked to dissident and human rights groups. Church leaders who reject government interference in the church and who refuse to expel these individuals are particularly persecuted,” CSW stated.

CSW’s Advocacy Director Andrew Johnston said: “CSW is deeply concerned at the sharp increase in reported cases of religious freedom violations in Cuba. Our figures are not exhaustive; however they are an indication of a trend which our contacts have confirmed is affecting Christians of all denominations. In the run-up to Pope Benedict XVI’s visit, it is apparent that the Cuban authorities are conducting a crackdown on religious freedom, and this must not be allowed to continue unchallenged.”

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organization working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.

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For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Kiri Kankhwende, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045 / +44 (0) 78 2332 9663, emailkiri@csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk.

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Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Concern over Arrest of Lawyers Protesting Against Constitutional Delays in Nepal

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

Nepalese police arrest Tibetan women
during a protest in Kathmandu

NEPAL (ANS) -- A UK-based Christian human rights group is expressing concern over reports that police arrested 166 lawyers in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 24, for participating in a protest demanding that the peace process and constitution be completed by the end of May deadline after four previous deadline extensions.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) www.csw.org.uk says an estimated 800 lawyers belonging to the Nepal Bar Association (NBA) were involved in the protest in February.

CSW reports that following speeches at the NBA premises, they attempted to walk to Ratnapark, but were prevented by police from walking through the prohibited area around the Supreme Court.

“Struggles ensued, and the lawyers sat down in the road, shouting slogans against police intervention. Later, police arrested 166 lawyers, who were held in custody until 6.30 pm, when they were released,” CSW told ANS in an e-mail.

CSW’s Advocacy Director Andrew Johnston said, “There is a clear need for the peace process to be brought to a close and for Nepal to define its new identity as a secular republic.

“By confronting and arresting lawyers who were exercising their democratic right to protest, the police simply risk compounding widespread public frustration about the delays in the process.

There are concerns that the government of Nepal is refusing to recognize the urgency of constitutional priorities within the peace process, or recognize legitimate democratic pressure to meet urgent deadlines.”

Johnson added: “CSW continues to urge Constituent Assembly members to do their utmost to meet the new deadline, and to ensure that the new constitution protects human rights in a manner consistent with the international human rights framework, including full guarantees for freedom of religion or belief.”

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organization working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.

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Monday, February 13, 2012

Burma: CSW Returns from Kachin State with Evidence of Continuing Grave Human Rights Violations

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

BURMA (ANS) -- A team from Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) returned this week from a three-week fact-finding visit to Rangoon and Kachin State on the China-Burma border, where the CSW team recorded evidence of grave human rights violations.

Kachin people fleeing the violence

CSW told the ASSIST News Service that its team interviewed internally displaced people (IDPs) from Kachin State and northern Shan State, and heard first-hand testimonies of killings of civilians, torture, the destruction of homes, churches and villages. CSW also received reports of rape.

In a report released today (Sunday, February 12, 2012), Burma’s Union Day, which marks the 65th anniversary of the Panglong Agreement, CSW documents these violations and concludes that while “a window of opportunity for change in Burma after decades of oppression and conflict may have now opened,” the situation in Kachin and northern Shan States illustrate that “there is still a very long way to go”.

Kachin nations in traditional costume

Benedict Rogers, CSW’s East Asia Team Leader, said, “There are clear signs of change in Burma, such as the release of significant numbers of political prisoners and the decision by Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy (NLD) to contest parliamentary by-elections, which we should welcome and encourage. However, the evidence we heard from Kachin people was among the worst we have ever heard. A very high proportion of the people we interviewed had family members killed by the Burma Army. These were unarmed civilians, in their paddy fields or homes, who were not engaged in armed combat in any form. The accounts of torture and other abuses are a cause for very grave concern, and the humanitarian challenges facing the internally displaced people require an urgent and sustained response from the international community.”

CSW was in Kachin State when the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) held a first round of peace talks with the Government of Burma. In the report CSW details the political steps required for a meaningful, lasting peace process, including “a genuine inclusive political process that involves all the ethnic nationalities, the democracy movement and the government, that addresses the desire of the ethnic nationalities for autonomy and equal rights within a federal democratic structure in Burma, and that results in an end to military offensives and armed conflict.”

Kachin Independence Army (KIA) soldiers guard a checkpoint on the way to Laiza (Photo: Jonh San Lin)

Benedict Rogers added, “Today, on Burma’s Union Day, as the country marks the 65th anniversary of the Panglong Agreement, we urge the government of Burma to build on the reforms made so far by introducing institutional and legislative reforms required to lead the country to genuine change. These include amendments to the constitution, repeal or amendment of unjust laws, and a sincere effort to begin a political process that results in a mutually acceptable political solution for all the people of Burma.

“The spirit of Panglong was based on equal rights for all the ethnic nationalities, a degree of autonomy, and respect for ethnic identity, within the Union of Burma. We urge President Thein Sein to recapture that spirit today, and we call on the international community to develop a balanced response, recognizing and encouraging progress while maintaining pressure for real change.”

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organisation working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.

Dan Wooding, 71, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 48 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS) and was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. He now hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on KWVE in Southern California which is also carried throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on Calvary Chapel Radio UK and also in Belize and South Africa. Besides this, Wooding is a host for His Channel Live, which is carried via the Internet to some 192 countries and also provides a regular commentary for Worship Life Radio on KWVE. You can follow Dan Wooding on Facebook under his name there or at ASSIST News Service. He is the author of some 44 books, one of which is his autobiography, “From Tabloid to Truth”, which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, press this link. Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, has also recently released his first novel “Red Dagger” which is available this link.

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Friday, January 20, 2012

Cuban Government Backtracks on Verbal Assurances to Grant Pastor Exit Visa

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

Pastor Omar Gude Perez & wife

CUBA (ANS) -- Despite verbal assurances from Cuban authorities that his application would be approved, Pastor Omar Gude Perez has so far been denied a visa to leave Cuba in order to seek asylum in the United States.

According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), Pastor Gude Perez’s wife and two children have been given exit visas, or “white cards”, as they are called in Cuba, but the family has refused to leave Cuba without him, for fear that delays in the pastor’s visa application may lead to a long-term separation.

CSW says that since the family was granted asylum by the US in July 2010, they have had to wait several months for their exit visas to be approved, and have been subject to contradictory messages from the authorities on whether the family will be able to leave Cuba together.

CSW reports that Pastor Gude, a national leader in a fast growing network of independent churches called the Apostolic Movement, served almost three years of a six-and-a-half year prison sentence on trumped up charges. His release was subject to certain conditions, namely that he was prohibited from preaching or from travelling outside the city of Camaguey.

The Apostolic Movement is a non-denominational, Charismatic, Protestant network of church groups which are outside of the traditionally recognized Christian denominations in Cuba.

CSW has documented intense government persecution of church leaders linked to the network over the past three years, detailed in its annual report on religious freedom in Cuba.

CSW’s Advocacy Director Andrew Johnston said, “CSW is deeply concerned at the failure of Cuban officials to honour verbal assurances to grant Pastor Omar Gude Perez an exit visa.

“The Gude family have been waiting for the whole family to be granted exit visas for more than six months, and do not want to be forced to separate. We call on the Cuban government to honour its promise to the Gude family and grant Pastor Gude Perez an exit visa so that he and his family can begin a new life in the United States together without any further delay.”

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For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Kiri Kankhwende, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045 / +44 (0) 78 2332 9663, emailkiri@csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk .

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

Eritrean Hostages in Sinai Appeal for International Help

By Jeremy Reynalds
Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

SURREY, ENGLAND (ANS) -- Thirteen Eritrean hostages currently held in northern Sinai, close to the Israeli border face a bleak future.

They’ve issued a desperate appeal for international intervention after being informed that they will be sold to organ traffickers if a large ransom is not paid for them.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reported that in an appeal publicized by Italian NGO EveryOne Group, the hostages said, “We have been beaten, tortured, humiliated in the most atrocious fashion. We have now received an ultimatum from our persecutors: if our families do not pay US$33,000 per head within 24 hours, we will be sold to clandestine clinics that traffic in human organs.”

CSW said the hostages continued, “We are calling on the civilized countries, religious people who abhor these atrocities, the United Nations and the European Union not to abandon us. If we had been Europeans or Americans, would you have left us in this terrible condition? We are young men and women who have fled from a country that persecuted us.”

CSW said that Eritrean citizens are fleeing the repressive regime of President Isaias Afwerki at a rate of 1,000 people per month, conservatively speaking. Eritrea has one of the world's worst human rights records, including stringent restrictions on religious freedom.

Tens of thousands of Eritreans are thought to be imprisoned in the country's many detention facilities, including around 3,000 Christians. CSW said hundreds of Eritrean refugees, including women and children, have fallen into the hands of human traffickers.

Many are still held hostage in purpose-built camps in the Sinai Desert, CSW reported. There they face harassment, extreme sexual abuse and torture until relatives or friends make large payments to secure their release. A recent CNN report also confirmed that many African refugees have organs removed from their bodies for sale, before being left to die.

Andrew Johnston, Advocacy Director at Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), said in a news release, “This group of young people is representative of many other Eritrean refugees who are being held hostage in the Sinai. It has been over a year since these hostage camps were brought to light. In some cases the people traffickers have even been identified, yet these camps still exist, and the inhumane treatment of these refugees, along with the threat of organ trafficking, continues.”

He added, “We urge the Egyptian authorities to take effective action to end human trafficking within their borders, and to ensure that perpetrators of these appalling crimes are brought to justice. Human trafficking is a transnational crime carried out by criminal syndicates, and ought to be of international concern. It is therefore vital that the international community assists in combating this affront to human dignity, and in ensuring that victims are afforded protection and refuge.”

Christian Solidarity Worldwide works for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.

For further information, visit www.csw.org.uk.

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Monday, December 26, 2011

Persecution Watchdog Highlights Iranian Pastors Imprisoned Over Christmas

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

Imprisoned Iranian pastor Yousef Nadarkhani

Nadarkhani

NEW MALDEN, SURREY, UK (ANS) -- As Christmas approaches, the British religious human rights watchdog Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) www.csw.org.uk remains concerned about the plight of three pastors who are imprisoned in Iran.

In a media update, CSW says Farshid Fathi-Malayeri, an evangelical church leader and father of two young children, has been detained without charge since December 26, 2010, but has yet to appear in court.

CSW stated: “He has been kept in solitary confinement for a large part of his incarceration. The equivalent of £120,000GBP was demanded as bail for his release. His family eventually managed to raise the bail, yet the authorities refused to release him.”

CSW also reports Pastor Behnam Irani is currently serving a five-year sentence in Ghezel Hesar prison in Karaj for “action against national security.”

“The verdict against him includes text that describes Pastor Irani as an apostate and reiterates that apostates ‘can be killed,’” CSW said.

According to CSW sources, Pastor Irani is currently sharing a cell with criminals who regularly beat him, and as a result of injuries sustained during these assaults, he is now having difficulty walking.

CSW was also informed that during the first few months of his imprisonment, the pastor was held incommunicado in a small cell, where guards would repeatedly wake him from sleep as a form of psychological torture. He was moved into a cramped room where inmates could not lie down to sleep, before being transferred to his current cell.

Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani continues to face a death sentence for apostasy, CSW said.

“The Supreme Leader of Iran has yet to issue a decision in his case despite two referrals from the lower court. CSW has received unconfirmed reports indicating that execution may be delayed for up to a year to allow time to convince the pastor to renounce his faith,” the group said.

Elam Ministries has reported the acquittal and release of Shahla Rahmati from Evin Prison, CSW reported.

“The Christian and the director of a successful electronics company was freed on December 20, after 287 days of incarceration. Following her arrest on March 9, 2011, she spent three months in Section 209 of Tehran's Evin Prison, where she was interrogated and held in solitary confinement for six weeks. Shahla Rahmati was later moved to an overcrowded cell which she shared with around 80 hardened criminals and drug addicts. Her health deteriorated, and she is currently seeking medical treatment,” the group stated.

CSW’s Advocacy Director Andrew Johnston said, “These men are representative of many other Iranian Christians held on spurious charges or without any charges in prisons throughout the country.

“CSW is deeply concerned for their wellbeing and at reports that vulnerable prisoners are being forced to share overcrowded cells with dangerous criminals.”

“We call on the Iranian government to ensure that the pastors and other prisoners receive the necessary medical attention and are treated in accordance with the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, as defined by the UN,” he said.

“The continuing harassment and imprisonment of Christians, Baha’is and other minorities is unacceptable and contravenes international covenants to which Iran is signatory, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees freedom of religion.

“We urge the international community to c ontinue to press Iran for the release of Pastor Nadarkhani and others who are unjustly imprisoned or facing execution due to flawed judicial processes.”

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Friday, December 9, 2011

Bomb Blast in Kaduna, Nigeria Leaves at Least Eight Dead

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

KADUNA. NIGERIA (ANS) -- A powerful bomb blast rocked Kaduna metropolis yesterday, leaving at least eight dead, many badly injured and causing millions of naira worth of destruction to properties and businesses.

Eyewitnesses told Christian Solidarity Worldwide Nigeria (CSWN) that the bombers were on motorcycles, and were heading towards a spare part shop in a busy trading area, before residents heard the sound of an explosion, which killed one motorcyclist.

According to news reports, the National Emergency Management Agency, Red Cross, Federal Road Safety Corps, Police and Army worked for hours to evacuate the injured and the decapitated bodies of victims.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) www.csw.org.uk says the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police is reported to have attributed the explosion to gas cylinders and batteries in the shops. However, CSW reports, Mr Sunday Mba, the Chairman of the Spare Part Seller’s Union, has said that shops in the area do not sell gas and that a battery explosion would not cause such extensive damage.

According to the Associated Press (AP), the Red Cross has confirmed that the explosion in Kaduna was a bomb, corroborating eyewitness reports made to CSWN; however no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

CSW explained that Kaduna was one of the sites of deadly post-election violence in April. More recently, several people were killed when two villages in southern Kaduna were attacked by armed Fulanis.

Andrew Johnston, Advocacy Director for Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), said: “We extend our condolences to the families of those killed in this deadly blast.

“Although the authorities have claimed this was a case of exploding batteries and gas cylinders, eyewitness reports are unequivocal that this was a bomb, detonated in a busy trading area to inflict maximum damage to people and property, and there are suspicions that Boko Haram may have been involved. “We urge the state authorities to take these reports seriously, and conduct a thorough investigation in order to swiftly apprehend the perpetrators of this appalling attack.”

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organization working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.

For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Kiri Kankhwende, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045 / +44 (0) 78 2332 9663, emailkiri@csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk .

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Saturday, December 3, 2011

Christian Human Rights Group Highlights Plight of Papuan People On 50th Anniversary Of Independence

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

PAPUA, INDONESIA (ANS) -- A UK-based Christian human rights group, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) says that it “remains deeply concerned at the plight of the Papuan people following reports of an alleged crackdown by Indonesian military and police on religious ceremonies marking the 50th anniversary of West Papuan independence from the Dutch.”

A Papuan protester, with his cheek displaying the banned Morning Star flag, takes part in a rally (AFP, Bay Ismoyo)

The anniversary was marked around the region by religious ceremonies, including the raising of the Papuan “Morning Star” flag, a symbol of independence.

The Reverend Socratez Sofyan Yoman, Chairman of the Alliance of Papuan Baptist Churches, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that several people taking part in flag-raising ceremonies have been shot and others arrested by Indonesian security forces.

He stated, “We are here. How can they do this? We are the owners of this land. How can these outside people, these outside people be coming in and killing, arrest and torture us continually?”

CSW says that according to media reports, in one religious ceremony in Timika Indah field, four civilians were allegedly shot by police after the raising of the “Morning Star” flag. The four victims are currently alive and undergoing treatment at hospital, according to a local source. The commander of the Military Command in West Papua has denied the reports.

Reverend Socratez Sofyan Yoman

News of this crackdown comes just over a month after the Indonesian regime brutally suppressed peaceful demonstrations at the Papuan People’s Congress on October 19, killing six people.

CSW was instrumental in organizing a hearing on November 29, 2011, in the European Parliament’s Sub-committee on Human Rights, in which the worsening human rights situation in West Papua was discussed. In a written statement, Father Neles Tebay called upon the European Union (EU) to support the Indonesian government in engaging in open dialogue with the Papuan people.

CSW’s Advocacy Director Andrew Johnston said, “The ongoing and brutal suppression of peaceful protests in West Papua is a clear violation of the human rights of the Papuan people to freedom of assembly, expression and religion. CSW is concerned about rising tensions in West Papua and increased police brutality.

“We urge the international community to facilitate a meaningful dialogue between the Indonesian government and the Papuan people, with the help of international mediation, and to encourage the Indonesia, as a member of the UN Human Rights Council and Chairman of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), to uphold the rule of law and protect human rights in West Papua.”

Note: Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organization working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.

Dan Wooding, 70, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 48 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS) and was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. He now hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on KWVE in Southern California which is also carried throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on Calvary Chapel Radio UK and also in Belize and South Africa. Besides this, Wooding is a host for His Channel Live, which is carried via the Internet to some 200 countries and also provides a regular commentary for Worship Life Radio on KWVE. You can follow Dan Wooding on Facebook under his name there or at ASSIST News Service. He is the author of some 44 books. Two of the latest include his autobiography, “From Tabloid to Truth”, which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, press this link. Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, has also recently released his first novel “Red Dagger” which is available this link.

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Thursday, December 1, 2011

Mexican Senate Adopts Official Statement Condemning Pastor Nadarkhani’s Death Sentence For Apostasy in Iran

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

MEXICO (ANS) -- The Mexican senate yesterday approved (Nov.29) an official statement condemning the death sentence for apostasy currently faced by Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani in Iran.

Pastor Youcef and his family. (Courtesy of Present Truth Ministries).

According to the UK-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) www.csw.org.uk , the statement says that “although Iranian officials have claimed that the he was sentenced to death for different crimes and not that of apostasy, the international community has consistently spoken out in defense of Mr. Nadarkhani’s civil and political rights.”

“As such, the statement proposes that the Senate join the international community, and condemns the death sentence handed down to Yousef Nadarkhani for religious reasons.”

The Mexican senate statement quotes Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Articles 2 and 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Iran has ratified. Article 18 of the ICCPR states that “No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have or adopt a religion or belief of his choice,” and asserts that “freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs may be subject only to limitations prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.”

CSW says the Mexican Senate joins members of the international community including Britain, the US, the Council of Europe, Canada and members of the Uruguayan Senate in condemning the death sentence for Pastor Nadarkhani on religious grounds.

Pastor Nadarkhani’s apostasy case has been referred to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Hoseyni Khamenei, for a decision. Two letters have been written to the Supreme Leader by the court in Rasht, asking for his opinion on the case, but so far there has been no response.

CSW’s sources have been told that a decision may be issued by the court in mid-December.

On a recent trip to Mexico, CSW’s Chief Executive, Mervyn Thomas, met with members of the Senate, including Senator José Luis García Zalvidea, and discussed a number of issues, including the case of Pastor Nadarkhani. He also spoke at a two-day conference on religious freedom, jointly hosted by CSW and the Federal District’s Human Rights Commission in Mexico City, alongside Jorge Lee, a respected legal expert on religious freedom and equality in Mexico, representing recently-launched CSW Mexico.

He said, “CSW welcomes the resolution by the Mexican Senate. The pastor’s life remains in the balance and it is vital that international petitions for his release continue and that international actors continue to urge Iran to uphold its obligations concerning religious freedom under the ICCPR.”

Jason DeMars of Present Truth Ministries (www.presenttruthm.com ) told ANS: “I greatly appreciate the Mexican government’s involvement in the case of pastor Youcef Nadarkhani. It is truly the duty of all elected governments to stand for freedom.

"The statement of the Mexican Senate is a good start, but it falls short of calling for the immediate release of pastor Youcef. I ask that all governments call for and work towards the release of brother Youcef and all Christians who are imprisoned because of their faith and activity as evangelicals.”

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organization working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice. Present Truth Ministries provides relief for believers suffering for their faith and has been following Nadarkhani’s case closely.

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Monday, November 14, 2011

Human Rights Violations Continue in Eastern Burma

By Jeremy Reynalds
Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

SURREY, ENGLAND (ANS) -- Serious violations of human rights continue to be committed by the Burma Army in eastern Burma, while humanitarian conditions deteriorate due to a lack of international funding, according to a new report released today by a human rights agency.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) said in a news release that last month the group conducted another fact-finding visit to the Thailand-Burma border, visiting Karen refugees in camps on the Thai side of the border as well as internally displaced people (IDPs) across the border in Karen State.

CSW also had meetings with former political prisoners, exiled activists, representatives of the democracy movement, Non-Governmental Organizations and diplomats.

CSW interviewed several recently arrived refugees, who had fled fighting between the Burma Army and ethnic armed groups.

One Karen IDP told CSW, "Whenever the Burma Army comes, they burn villages or shoot people. So whenever the Burma Army comes we run away because we know what will happen if we don't."

Reports of forced labor, looting, extortion and torture remain widespread.

Another IDP told CSW, "We feel very tired in our hearts and minds. We cannot think about what we're going to do. We're very tired."

CSW said conditions in the IDP camp are particularly severe, due to cuts in international support for humanitarian assistance along the border. The IDPs now receive only rice and salt, and the rations have been reduced significantly. They have received no new clothing, blankets or mosquito nets since 2008, and at least ten children under the age of five are suffering malnutrition. People are relying on foraging for bamboo shoots, raw leaves and roots in the forest.

CSW's East Asia Team Leader Benedict Rogers said in a news release, "President Thein Sein and the regime in Burma have made some welcome gestures in recent months, potentially creating the conditions for some changes to be made. However, as long as the gross violations of human rights in the ethnic states continue, and political prisoners remain in horrific conditions in jail, we cannot speak of real change in Burma. It is clear from our visit to the Thailand-Burma border that there is a real need to maintain international pressure on the regime to match its rhetoric with action, and undertake substantial, significant and long-lasting change.

Rogers continued, "This includes a nationwide ceasefire, an end to the attacks on ethnic civilians, the release of all political prisoners, and a more meaningful dialogue process between the regime, the democracy movement led by Aung San Suu Kyi and the ethnic nationalities. If the regime takes these steps, the international community should be ready to respond positively, but until the regime takes these steps, targeted pressure must be maintained. The international community must also respond to the dire humanitarian situation along Burma's borders, by increasing humanitarian assistance to the internally displaced peoples and refugees who have been forced to flee the Burma Army's brutal offensives. The international community has a responsibility to protect people from a dire humanitarian, as well as human rights, crisis."

Christian Solidarity Worldwide works for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.

For further information, visit www.csw.org.uk.

Jeremy Reynalds is Senior Correspondent for the ASSIST News Service, a freelance writer and also the founder and CEO of Joy Junction, New Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelter,http://www.joyjunction.org He has a master's degree in communication from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in intercultural education from Biola University in Los Angeles. His newest book is "Homeless in the City."

Additional details on "Homeless in the City" are available at http://www.homelessinthecity.com. Reynalds lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For more information contact: Jeremy Reynalds atjeremyreynalds@comcast.net.

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Sunday, November 13, 2011

Sudan Accused of Bombing Refugee Camp In South Sudan Following Presidential Announcement That It Was ’Ready For War’

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

UNITY STATE, SOUTH SUDAN (ANS) -- An airstrike on a refugee camp in Unity state, South Sudan, on Thursday, November 10, 2011, has been attributed to the northern Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) by South Sudan officials and witnesses, bolstering concerns that war may reignite between Sudan and the new nation of South Sudan.

South Sudanese children wait to be transported on a train to South Sudan, in Khartoum
October 28, 2011.

According to the UK-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), this follows Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir’s aggressive comments on November 6, 2011, indicating Khartoum’s readiness to engage in further warfare.

“Taban Deng, governor of Unity state, accused Khartoum of carrying out the attack on the Yida refugee camp,” said a CSW spokesperson.

“Yida is home to about 20,000 refugees from the Nuba Mountains, a region that has faced ongoing aerial and ground assaults from the SAF since June this year. A spokesman for the SAF has denied bombing Yida.

The bombing comes a few days after a rally in Al-Damazin, the state capital of the Blue Nile State, on November 6, 2011, where Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir had warned that his country was running out of patience in the face of alleged “continued provocations” by South Sudan, adding that Khartoum was ready to return to war.

Al-Bashir’s warning came after the northern Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) seized control of Kurmuk town in the border area of Blue Nile State, previously the stronghold of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-North (SPLA-N), on November 3, 2011.

The CSW spokesperson added, “On November 5, 2011, Khartoum announced it had lodged a second complaint with the UN Security Council accusing South Sudan of supporting opposition fighters in the border-states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile, where Khartoum has been waging war since June and September respectively. The government of South Sudan has repeatedly denied the claim.

Omar al-Bashir

“The UNHCR estimates that nearly 29,000 civilians have fled the conflict in Blue Nile to seek refuge in Ethiopia and South Sudan. The refugees insist they were targeted due to their ethnicity, corroborating other eyewitness reports and a leaked UN report of July. In both border regions, the SAF has been making use of counter-insurgency tactics previously employed in South Sudan and in Darfur, including ground and air offensives that target civilians, and the denial of access to international humanitarian aid organisations.”

According to an SAF statement, Khartoum’s offensives in the border-states are being waged in order to “eliminate the remnants of the SPLM”, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement; however the air and ground offensives have thus far targeted as many civilian as military targets.

After conflict erupted in the oil-rich region of Abyei in May, following an invasion by northern forces, an agreement between Sudan and South Sudan in June mandated a UN peacekeeping force to monitor the flashpoint area. Both parties agreed to remove their own troops from the region by 30 September. However the UN force is not fully deployed and the parties have not yet fully withdrawn their troops.

CSW’s Special Ambassador Stuart Windsor said, “The muted international response to recent events in Sudan has allowed the northern regime to distract local attention from its economic and political failures by targeting civilians in Blue Nile and South Kordofan and threatening renewed war with South Sudan. Now refugees from these conflicts are being pursued into South Sudan. The international community must make it clear that military action against South Sudan will be tolerated, and it must remain vigilant, using any remaining leverage to compel Sudan to end the attacks on its own civilians in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, and to allow humanitarian access to both areas.

“The international community must also ensure the removal of all Sudanese troops from Abyei, in accordance with the agreement signed by both parties in Addis Ababa on June 20, 2011.”

Notes to Editors:

1. Since the National Congress Party (NCP), came to power in Sudan in 1989, its narrow Arabist and Islamist agenda has resulted in the systematic marginalization of various regions and the eruption of armed conflict; most recently in South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

2. On November 9, 2011, President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir once more denied the claim that the South is supporting the SPLM/A in the North and accusing President Bashir of seeking to deflect away from his own internal problems by blaming other parties for it.

Note: Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organisation working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.

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Friday, November 11, 2011

Christian Human Rights Group Encourages Government of India to Be Vigilant Against Communal Violence after ‘Inflammatory Speech’

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

NEW MALDEN, SURREY, UK (ANS) -- Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), a UK-based human rights group, says that is concerned by recent “inflammatory statements” in India about the sensitive issue of religious conversion, noting that such statements have previously led to worsening attitudes and increasing violence against religious minority communities.

Praveen Togadia

During the Akhil Bhartiya Dharmaprasar Karyakarta Sammelan event in Gujarat this week, Praveen Togadia, General Secretary of the extremist group Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), called for India’s Constitution to allow for “anyone who converts Hindus to be beheaded”, and made a series of inflammatory statements against India’s Muslim community. His remarks were widely reported.

Previously, Swami Agnivesh, a widely respected social activist of the Hindu revivalist group Arya Samaj, wrote a letter to Pope Benedict XVI calling for a moratorium on the conversion of “unlettered tribals” and others. His letter was a response to the Pope’s Diwali message, which urged Christians and Hindus to work together for religious freedom, including “the freedom to change one’s own religion”.

In July, an article by Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy sparked countrywide controversy for its comments about Muslims. It also recommended a “national law prohibiting conversion from Hinduism to any other religion”.

CSW’s Advocacy Director Andrew Johnston said, “India’s pluralist pedigree is once again under concerted fire. Inflammatory remarks such as Togadia’s can be a spur for prejudice and violence against Muslims and Christians: for example, communal attacks against Christians in India are often linked to unsubstantiated accusations about conversions. Any activities which lead to religious conversions should of course be carried out with the utmost respect and sensitivity.

“But international jurisprudence on this issue is very clear: the right to have or to adopt a religion includes the freedom to change religion, and the right to manifest a religion includes the right to share religious beliefs with others.

“The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief reiterated these points after her 2008 visit to India, and we encourage the Government of India to be vigilant against any rise i n communal violence that may be ignited by these statements. We welcomed Home Minister P Chidambaram’s letter to chief ministers in October urging them to guard against communal violence, and we continue to applaud the Government’s ongoing commitment to pass an effective law to prevent, control and deal with the aftermath of communal violence, and encourage them to make this as effective as possible.”

Note: Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organisations working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.