Church leader in Sudan released after months in jail

KHARTOUM, Sudan — Sudan recently released 1 of 2 church leaders jailed since December 2015, sources said.

Telahoon Nogose Kassa, head of discipleship at the embattled Khartoum Bahri Evangelical Church, was released after Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) arrested him without charges Dec. 13, 2015, according to church members.

It was unclear why Kassa was released but NISS can hold detainees for up to four and a half months without judicial review, according to Human Rights Watch.

Said to be staffed by hard-line Islamists, NISS is known for its torture and other abusive tactics.

NISS agents went to the home of the 36-year-old Kassa the night of Dec. 13 and told him to report to their offices, sources said. When he went to a NISS office the following day officials arrested him and took him to a detention center in Khartoum.

NISS officials gave no reason for the arrest, though they questioned him for five consecutive days about his relationship with a foreign missionary who had attended a discipleship class, sources said.

They believe he was targeted for his Christian activities and his opposition to government interference with his church.

(MS)