Month: May 2017

  • Soudan : le pasteur Hassan et l’étudiant Abdumonem libérés !

    Le 11 mai au Soudan, Abdumonem Abdumawla et le pasteur Hassan Abduraheem Taour sont sortis de prison à la faveur d’une grâce présidentielle.

    Abdumonem et Hassan sont libres ! Après avoir été graciés par le président Omar El-Béchir, ils ont quitté leur prison de Khartoum il y a quelques jours pour retrouver leur famille. Jan Figel, envoyé spécial pour la promotion de la liberté de religion et de conviction en dehors de l’Union Européenne, était intervenu en leur faveur en mars dernier lors d’une visite dans la capitale soudanaise.

    Leur libération fait suite à celle de Petr Jasek intervenue le 26 février, sur ordre du président El-Béchir.

    Incitation à la haine

    Les 3 hommes avaient été arrêtés en même temps en décembre 2015. L’humanitaire tchèque Petr Jasek avait été accusé d’espionnage, Abdumonem et Hassan de l’avoir aidé.

    Leur cas s’était aggravé en janvier, quand le tribunal avait ajouté à leur dossier deux nouveaux chefs d’accusation, celui d’incitation à la haine entre groupes religieux et celui de diffusion de fausses informations. Les 3 chrétiens avaient alors été condamnés respectivement à 23 ans et à 12 ans de prison.

    Une persécution toujours plus forte

    Cette libération est une nouvelle encourageante pour les chrétiens soudanaisalors que la persécution ne cesse de s’intensifier dans le pays.

    Le Soudan occupe la 5ème place de l’Index Mondial de Persécution des Chrétiens 2017 établi par Portes Ouvertes, alors qu’il n’était que 8ème en 2016.

    Légende photo : Abdumonem Abdumawla et le pasteur Hassan Abduraheem Taour enfin libres

    Sujets de prière :

    • Remercions Dieu pour cette libération,
    • Prions pour les chrétiens soudanais encore en prison,
    • Prions pour le témoignage des chrétiens dans une société soudanaise de plus en plus radicalisée.

    Source: https://www.portesouvertes.fr/informer/lettres-de-nouvelles/filrouge/2017/mai/soudan-le-pasteur-hassan-et-l-etudiant-abdumonem-et-liberes

  • What Difference Does a Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief Make?

    As Ján Figel starts his second year as the EU Special Envoy for the Promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) outside the European Union, the last 12 months of his time in this new mandate show the respect for this role that has developed amongst sceptics and the potential for his role going forward.

    In under 12 months Mr Figel has raised the profile of FoRB as a human rights priority for the EU, highlighting the important role religion and belief, including the right not to believe, plays in the daily experience of millions across the globe.

    Early on in his first term the Special Envoy said “FoRB is a litmus test for general human rights… Those who don’t understand, religion and the abuse of religion can’t comprehend what is going on in the world today.” At the end of his first year, there has been a visible widening of EU engagement on this sensitive human right, as part of its dialogue and development policies.

    “FoRB is a litmus test for general human rights… Those who don’t understand, religion and the abuse of religion can’t comprehend what is going on in the world today.” – Ján Figel, EU Special Envoy for the Promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief

    Sudan is one of several countries with poor human rights records which Mr Figel has visited in his first year. Such visits open up opportunities for a senior EU diplomat to engage with religious leaders and religious communities to address societal hostilities, in addition to working with government officials.

    In March 2017, he used his visit to Sudan to promote freedom of religion or belief, intercultural and interreligious dialogue, peaceful coexistence of communities and better relations between Sudan and the EU. Sudan, as a priority country for the EU, but one with an appalling human rights record, was a bold choice of country to visit and indicative of Ján Figel’s personal commitment to FoRB and credibility with colleagues in the European Commission.

    Approximately two weeks before his visit, Czech humanitarian worker, Peter Jašek, was released from prison after spending 14 months in Sudanese prison. Mr Jašek had been imprisoned alongside a Sudanese pastor, Reverend Hassan Abduraheem, and an activist called Abdulmonem Abdumawla, after being convicted on trumped-up charges of espionage. Peter Jašek received a presidential pardon and was released, however Reverend Hassan Abdulraheem and Mr Abdulmonem Abdumawla remained unjustly imprisoned. As part of his dialogue with Sudanese Officials, the Special Envoy called for a presidential pardon for them as well. Mr Figel also raised concerns over the demolition of churches that were targeted by the government. Reverend Hassan Abduraheem and activist Abdulmonem Abdumawla received a presidential pardon and were released on 11 May following further international pressure for their release.

    “In countries like Sudan, where the EU has a number of interests ranging from migration, trade and security to the fight against terrorism, the mainstreaming of human rights mandates such as that of the EU Special Envoy on FoRB becomes an important and visible way for the EU to show itself to be serious on trying to tackle human rights challenges globally.”

    In countries like Sudan, where the EU has a number of interests ranging from migration, trade and security to the fight against terrorism, the mainstreaming of human rights mandates such as that of the EU Special Envoy on FoRB becomes an important and visible way for the EU to show itself to be serious on trying to tackle human rights challenges globally. As was evident in Sudan, the presence of the EU’s Special Envoy was significant both in highlighting the EU’s commitment to mainstream this important right and its willingness to ensure it is part of the human rights dialogue points with Sudan.

    As he enters the second year of his mandate, he does so in a climate of heightened interest in this topic by the European Parliament. Whilst the Special Envoy is based in the EU Commission, his re-appointment will complement the vital work of European External Action Service in working towards a mainstreaming of the 2013 Guidelines on Freedom of Religion or Belief across the EU’s work.

    And there is much work to be done. With this in mind, President Juncker should do what he can to strengthen the mandate; for example, by resourcing it more fully and extending its term to enable longer-term planning. According to research by the Pew Forum, government restrictions and social hostilities linked to the freedom of religion of belief appear to be on the rise. These problems will not disappear overnight and there is always much more work to be done to reverse negative trends than to create them.

    By CSW’s Sudan Advocacy Officer

    The article: https://forbinfull.org/2017/05/16/what-difference-does-a-special-envoy-on-freedom-of-religion-or-belief-make/

  • Sudan releases pastor and activist sentenced for espionage

    Sudan releases pastor and activist sentenced for espionage

    May 15, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Last week, Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir pardoned a pastor and an activist sentenced together with a Czech missionary Petr Jasek who had already been released by the end of February.

    The Rev. Hassan Abdurahim Tawor. (Christian Solidarity Worldwide Photo)

    The two men were sentenced to 12 years for colluding with the Czech filmmaker who had been condemned for espionage, waging war against the state and inciting hatred against religious congregations.

    According to a statement released by Middle East Concern (MEC), Rev. Hassan Abduraheem Kodi Taour and

    Mr Abdulmonem Abdumawla are released on 11 May after a presidential pardon.

    Their release comes about two months after a call by the European Union Special Envoy for the Promotion of Freedom of Religion, Jan Figel, to release them during a visit to Sudan on 19 March.

    Sudan released Jasek on 26 February 2017, following a visit to Khartoum by the Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek.

    The two had been arrested in December 2015 and sentenced were each sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment, on 29th January 2017.

    The article is avilable here: http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article62475

  • Figeľ ostáva osobitným vyslancom Únie pre podporu náboženskej slobody

    Figeľ ostáva osobitným vyslancom Únie pre podporu náboženskej slobody

    BRATISLAVA. Európska komisia sa rozhodla o rok predĺžiť mandát Jána Figeľa ako osobitného vyslanca EÚ pre podporu náboženskej slobody vo svete.

    Agentúru SITA o tom informovala tlačová tajomníčka zo Zastúpenia Európskej komisie v SR Zuzana Harvanová. Od svojho vymenovania v máji 2016 navštívil Figeľ viacero mimoeurópskych krajín vrátane Iraku, Jordánska, Sudánu a Spojených arabských emirátov, a zúčastnil sa na mnohých medzinárodných podujatiach a procesoch spojených s podporou náboženskej slobody.

    Zapojil sa do dialógu so zástupcami vlád a občianskej spoločnosti vrátane náboženských a mimovládnych aktérov. Práca Jána Figeľa je definovaná Usmerneniami EÚ o slobode náboženstva a viery, ktoré boli prijaté roku 2013.

    “Sloboda svedomia, náboženstva a presvedčenia je prejavom úcty k dôstojnosti každého človeka. Dnes je však odopieraná alebo obmedzovaná v živote až troch štvrtín svetovej populácie. Prenasledovaných ľudí pribúda a potrebujú podporu zo strany slobodných krajín. Občania, no hlavne verejní činitelia EÚ a Slovenska, môžu svojím konaním ovplyvniť vývoj vo svete i osudy prenasledovaných ľudí. Je to aj naša zodpovednosť,” uviedol Figeľ. Ján Figeľ bude aj naďalej vystupovať ako osobitný poradca komisára pre medzinárodnú spoluprácu a rozvoj Nevena Mimicu s cieľom podporovať väčšiu informovanosť o slobode náboženského vyznania v rámci programu rozvojovej spolupráce.

    Článok dostupný tu: https://domov.sme.sk/c/20531558/figel-ostava-osobitnym-vyslancom-unie-pre-podporu-nabozenskej-slobody.html#ixzz4huo7VaFL