Tag: prison

¿Dónde están? Carmen María Sáenz Martínez y Lesbia del Socorro Gutiérrez Poveda son prisioneras de un régimen que solo busca su propia supervivencia

Posted on by cswpress in español, Latin America ES, Nicaragua ES

A las 6 de la mañana del 10 de agosto de 2024, quince agentes de policía con pasamontañas portando rifles AK-47 arrestaron a Carmen María Sáenz Martínez, de 49 años, en su casa en Lomas de Santo Tomás en la ciudad de Matagalpa, Nicaragua. 

Dos horas después, la policía en dos patrullas detuvo a la colega de Carmen, Lesbia del Socorro Gutiérrez Poveda, de 58 años, en la Finca Guadalupana en Samulalí en el Municipio de San Ramón. 

Ambas mujeres trabajaban con la Diócesis Católica Romana de Matagalpa, anteriormente dirigida por el ahora exiliado obispo Rolando José Álvarez Lagos, quien pasó casi un año y medio en prisión antes de ser expulsado del país hacia al Vaticano en enero de 2024. Lesbia había trabajado con el proyecto de crédito rural y urbano de la diócesis desde 2006, y Carmen como promotora de justicia en casos de anulación de matrimonios, desde 2018. 

Desde los arrestos, sus familias no han sabido nada de ellas.  

Continue reading “¿Dónde están? Carmen María Sáenz Martínez y Lesbia del Socorro Gutiérrez Poveda son prisioneras de un régimen que solo busca su propia supervivencia” →
CHN Tongxin Great Mosque in Wuzhong, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. FREE TO USE

When the facts and the law don’t matter, a guilty verdict is only a matter of time

Posted on by cswpress in Asia, China

‘There has been a powerful hand behind the scenes interfering and manipulating the trial of my case.’

– A quote from Ma Yanhu’s appeal letter, seen by CSW

For two decades, Ma Yanhu worked as a tour organiser for hundreds of Chinese Muslims looking to make the Hajj pilgrimage to the Islamic holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

Based in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in north-central China, and originally trained as an Islamic theologian, Ma’s work involved booking flights, arranging essential travel documents, and even leading private tour groups to the city until the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) prohibited it.

Continue reading “When the facts and the law don’t matter, a guilty verdict is only a matter of time” →

Where the laws don’t apply: Rural Christian communities in Laos and Mexico face similar challenges

Posted on by cswpress in Asia, Laos, Latin America, Mexico

Pastor Mum and five members of his church – Liang, Pa, Laen, Lan and Khoon – have been prisoners in their own village since 22 June. 

The six Christians were arrested by the chief of Tahae village, in Laos’ Khammouane Province, after they held a small church service in Pastor Mum’s home, which was deemed ‘illegal’ as their church is not officially registered. 

It has proven challenging to get updates since – perhaps as to be expected of a small remote village in a rural province in central Laos – however when CSW first reported on the arrests five days after they took place, the group had not been formally charged or permitted to see their families or access legal counsel.  

Continue reading “Where the laws don’t apply: Rural Christian communities in Laos and Mexico face similar challenges” →

‘In handcuffs, without paper or pen, I rely on others to convey my safety’ – a call for the release of Elder Zhang Chunlei

Posted on by cswpress in Asia, China

Zhang Chunlei has been detained by the Chinese authorities since 16 March 2021. An elder of Love (Ren’ai) Reformed Church in Guiyang in Guizhou Province, his detention began when he visited a police station in Guiyang to ask about ten Christians from his church who had been taken away during a police raid on a privately rented property where they were holding a retreat.

Upon his inquiry, police officers raided Zhang’s home, and those of several other church members, subsequently accusing him and three others of ‘illegally operating as an association’. Chen Jianguo, Li Jinzhi and Li Lin were released several days later on 20 March, but Zhang has remained in detention ever since.

Presumably by design, Zhang’s case has proven typically hard to disentangle over the past three years, with the charges against him changing on multiple occasions. On 28 March 2021 reports emerged that he had been criminally detained – meaning that any time he spent in detention from that date on would count towards any jail term if he was convicted – at this point on suspicion of ‘fraud’.

Continue reading “‘In handcuffs, without paper or pen, I rely on others to convey my safety’ – a call for the release of Elder Zhang Chunlei” →

Twenty years is too long: The Eritrean government must release imprisoned church leaders

Posted on by cswpress in Eritrea, Sub-Saharan Africa

Twenty years ago today the Eritrean authorities arrested Reverend Haile Naizge and Dr Kuflu Gebremeskel. Both were prominent religious leaders in the country, the former serving as the chair of the Full Gospel Church, and the latter as chair of the Eritrean Evangelical Alliance and a visiting lecturer at the former University of Asmara.

They have been detained incommunicado ever since.

The arrests of Reverend Naizge and Dr Gebremeskel are not the only anniversaries Eritrea marks this month. In May 2002 the government effectively outlawed religious practices not affiliated with Sunni Islam or the Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran or Orthodox Christian denominations. Since then, all other religious groups have been required to register in order to freely practise their faith, but the process to do this is onerous, intrusive and ultimately inconclusive, as the final step consists of the president’s signature.

Continue reading “Twenty years is too long: The Eritrean government must release imprisoned church leaders” →