Sudan has arrested six Christians after they reportedly refused to hand over a Christian school to government authorities.
The men, three of whom are pastors, belong to an evangelical church some 125 miles from Sudan’s capital city of Khartoum.
“They were released on bail later the same day,” a source told Open Doors, a Christian group that monitors religious freedom around the world. “It is not clear if further legal action is planned.”
Meanwhile, Sudanese authorities have warned five churches their places of worship are slated for demolition, claiming the land the churches sit on have been “assigned for investment.”
According to Open Doors, three of the churches belong to the Sudan Church of Christ (SCOC), one to the Presbyterian Church and the other to the Episcopal Church in Sudan.
Sudan is predominately an Islamic country. Christians, who makeup less than five percent of the population, are routinely harassed and persecuted.
Last month, three Christians, including a Czech national, were accused by a Sudanese court of espionage and being a threat to national security.
All four are awaiting trial. If convicted, the men could face the death penalty.
