HUDO Centre STATEMENT For Immediate release (8th November 2017) SUDAN GOVERNMENT INTERVENES IN CHRISTIAN’s WORSHIP On 22nd October 2017, Public Order Police arrested five Christian leaders from Christ Church in Elthawra of Omdurman. This incident (arrest) came after the police had forcefully obstructed church members from worship. Since 27th May 2017, there was agreement between the executive committee and the opposing group in the Christ church on the manner in which worship time was constituted for each of them. The executive committee is the elected committee by the church’s followers while the opposition group is associated to the ministry of religious affairs which consists of five pastors with some followers. On Sunday 22th October 2017, church members gathered for prayers at Christ church in Althawra (29) at the agreed time but they were locked outside by the police. The police blocked them on grounds that, there was a resolution issued by the ministry rejecting the agreement and ordering members of this church to worship under the nominated pastor by opposition group. The church members together with their pastors remained on the church yard up to the time when the opposition group came and opened the church. Then, the two groups entered the church and worshipped separately. At 1:00 PM, soon after prayers, a police officer from Althawra police station ordered five church leaders including executive committee members to report to the police station. Upon their arrival, the police officer filed a case against the five arrested church leader under article 77 of Sudan Penal Code - 1991 (Public nuisance) and detained them. The arrested church leaders were: 1. Pastor/ Ayoub Telian, the president of the executive committee of Sudanese Christ church. 2. Pastor/ Ali hakim, the sponsor of Elthawra (29) Christ church. 3. Pastor/ Imbrator Hamad Badur. 1