Amnesty International Calls For Release of Clergymen Amnesty International has expressed great concerns over the detention of Church leaders in South Sudan and is appealing to authorities to urgently release them. 06 June 2013
By Peter Lokale Nakimangole TORIT, 05 June 2013 [Gurtong] – According to a press release from the body two members of the Presbyterian Church in South Sudan, Reverend Idris Joshua Idris Nalos and Pastor Trainee David Gayin were picked from their homes by security forces on 19 May. “They are being detained incommunicado, without access to a lawyer or their family, and are at risk of torture or other forms of ill-treatment”, read part of the statement. On 19 May at 8pm security forces entered Reverend Idris Joshua Idris Nalos’ house in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, and according to eyewitnesses, fired three shots in the air, before proceeding to beat the Reverend and take him away in a car belonging to the security forces. They also searched and confiscated valuables belonging to him and his family members, including mobile phones, house keys, laptops and documents. Amnesty International further says that on the same night, at around 10pm, security forces broke down the door and entered the house of Pastor Trainee David Gayin and arrested him. “No reason was given to either of the clergymen’s families for their arrests, and their whereabouts remain unknown. They have not had access to a lawyer or their family members”, adds the statement. Amnesty International maintains that “detaining someone for more than 24 hours without the permission of the court, as both men have been, is illegal in South Sudan. Article 19(4) of the Republic of South Sudan’s Transitional Constitution states that a suspect must be released on bail after 24 hours, unless a court decides they should be remanded in prison”. Posted in: Home, Foreign Relations, Governance -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SouthSudanKob/CAJb14oocHTt1dMx_WY5T5yPMAVeehuD1ZZd6nUH3ECHsH-L%2BWw%40mail.gmail.com?hl=en-US. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
