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Sudanese court acquits two S. Sudanese priests from spying charges

Xinhua, August 6, 2015 Adjust font size:

A Sudanese court on Wednesday acquitted two South Sudanese priests who were charged of spying and crimes against the state.

Reverend Yat Michael and Reverend Peter Yen of the South Sudan Presbyterian Church were arrested by the security authority in December last year and January this year respectively.

They were facing charges relating to spying, incitement of religious sedition and crimes against the state, to which death penalty may apply.

Foreign diplomats, pressmen and families of the two defendants were present at the court when the judge read his verdict and ordered their immediate release.

The arrests and trial of the two priests have prompted rejecting reactions, particularly by South Sudanese and Christian foreign organizations concerned with defending Christians' rights.

South Sudan has earlier complained that it had not received answers from Khartoum regarding the arrests of the two South Sudanese priests, while the Amnesty International said "the continuing trial of two pastors in Khartoum raises the historically loaded and still deeply relevant question of Sudan's treatment of minorities." Endit