Release International calls on Khartoum to free two Sudanese men jailed with him, Rev Hassan Abduraheem and Abdulmonem Abdumawla.
Petr Jasek, the Christian aid worker sentenced to life in prison in Sudan for spying, is back home on Czech soil today after the Czech Foreign Minister flew to Khartoum yesterday to negotiate his release.
Jasek is reported to have arrived in Prague late last night after Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir issued a pardon. He was to have served more than 20 years in jail - simply for helping a student from Darfur who'd been injured at a rally. As it was, he spent 445 days behind bars.
But the two Sudanese men convicted with him - Pastor Hassan Abduraheem, and Abdulmonem Abdumawla - remain in prison. Release CEO Paul Robinson says it's important that their plight should not be forgotten.
'We're delighted to hear that Petr's safely back home and that the Government of Sudan has accepted that his actions in Sudan were not motivated by anything other than compassion,' says Paul Robinson.
'But we must not forget the two other men caught up in this, Hassan and Abdulmonem. Are we going to stop campaigning or talking about this issue just because a European, Petr, is free?
'Release will continue to call on Sudan to respect the rights of
Christians and others and to release these men, whose only crime was
compassion.'
Sudan's Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour
announced the news of Jasek's release yesterday at a joint press
conference with his Czech counterpart, Lubomír Zaorálek, who had
flown to Khartoum for negotiations earlier that day.
Jasek, Pastor Abduraheem and Abdumawla were accused of funding rebel movements in areas such as South Kordofan and Darfur. Jasek was sentenced to life imprisonment on January 29 after being found guilty of various charges, including spying and inciting hatred. He was also fined 100,000 Sudanese pounds (more than £12,000) for undertaking NGO work without a permit.
Pastor Abduraheem and Abdumawla were each sentenced to 12 years: they were convicted of various charges but their main 'crime' was 'aiding and abetting' Jasek. Their lawyers have lodged appeals against these sentences.
Jasek travelled to Khartoum in December 2015 to give the injured
student from Darfur $5,000 towards his medical costs. Security agents
searching his bags at Khartoum Airport found the receipt for his
donation and detained him on the spot, accusing him of supporting
rebels.
Petr Jasek has a 20-year background in the medical
field, including ten years as a hospital administrator. He has worked
to provide care to Christians in Sudan and Nigeria, including medical
care for Christians attacked by Boko Haram.
Christians in
Sudan have been under intense pressure since South Sudan became
independent in 2011 and President Bashir vowed to bring Sudan under a
stricter form of Islamic rule.
Release CEO Paul Robinson thanked everyone who had prayed for the three men since their arrest: 'Let's thank God for Petr's release but let's also continue to pray that Hassan and Abdulmonem will also be set free, and soon. Pray that their appeal will be heard quickly now and will be successful.'
The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.