SUDAN: TRIAL TO RESUME FOR CHRISTIAN PASTORS WHO COULD FACE DEATH PENALTY

September 21, 2016: A trial was set to resume this week in Sudan for pastors accused of bringing Christian persecution to the public's attention - and the men could face the death penalty if convicted.
Four pastors face multiple offenses, including espionage, spreading false information, stirring hate and conspiring against the state, according to reports.
Rev. Adulraheem Kodi and Rev. Kuwa Shamal Abu Zumam - pastors from the Church of Christ in Sudan - grew up in the Nuba Mountains, an area previously targeted by the Sudanese government under President Omar al-Bashir, Fox News reports.
The men have been jailed since December, when they were taken from their churches.
"The pastors are accused of sharing evidence of the government burning down churches in Khartoum and bombing churches in the Nuba Mountains," Philip Tutu, a Nuba Mountain native who relocated to the U.S. to advocate for the rights of the Nuba people, said in a media statement.
Two other men also face similar charges: Abduelmoneim Abdulmwlla, a human rights activist, and Czech pastor Petr Jasek.
Sudan's National Intelligence agency and Security Services allege that the men have exposed confidential state secrets - but international observers question whether those claims are founded. (Sources: nydailynews.com, 21/09/2016)