Turkey, Iran, Egypt

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Turkey, Iran, Egypt

By Rowland Croucher and others ⋅ February 26, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment

February 26, 2010

CIRCULATION CODE 3. OPEN. May be circulated to general mailing lists, outside organizations, and quoted from freely in reports citing “Middle East Concern” as the source of the information.

Turkish Christians have requested our continued prayers for several legal cases in their country.

Our most recent prayer request concerning Hakan and Turan, two Turkish Christians facing a court case, was issued on 19th October. Their latest hearing was on 28th January. None of the three prosecution witnesses called to testify were present. One apologised for absence due to illness, a second failed to appear, and the third could not be located, despite being described as a member of the armed forces. The hearing was adjourned until 25th May. The witness who was ill has been summoned to appear. The second witness has been ordered to submit his “eyewitness” testimony in writing to his local criminal court, to be forwarded to the court hearing the case. The third witness will not be called again.

Recall that Hakan and Turan were charged in October 2006 with “insulting Turkishness” and defamation of Islam, following involvement in a local Bible correspondence course. In January this year the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe reaffirmed its position that Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, the basis of the “insulting Turkishness” charge, continues to violate Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, despite amendments made in 2008.

The trial also continues of the five men charged with the murder of three Christians in Malatya, south-eastern Turkey, in April 2007. Prosecuting and plaintiff attorneys continue working to expose those who instigated the murders. They recently met with the prosecution lawyers handling what is known as the Ergenekon criminal case. Ergenekon is a clandestine ultra-nationalist programme that has allegedly sought to destabilize the government through a series of violent incidents. The Malatya lawyers requested that links be investigated between the Malatya perpetrators and some of those arrested under Ergenekon. They are confident that the cases will be linked in due course, but recognise that the Ergenekon lawyers have a huge amount of evidence to assimilate and evaluate.

At a hearing in Malatya on Friday 19th the court revealed that a copy of an indictment into illegal weapons found in Istanbul in 2009 had been received and added to the case file. Defence lawyers asked for it to be removed as having no possible connection. However, prosecution lawyers noted that those arrested concerning the weapons had links with the Malatya defendants, and that a report prepared for the Istanbul Police Department Counter-terrorism Division stated that there was material in the indictment relevant to the Malatya trial.

In a separate development, the European Court of Human Rights ruled on 2nd February that Turkey should change its identity card system to remove religious affiliation. The current practice allows citizens to change their identity card to state the religion of their choice, or to leave this section blank. However, members of religious minorities believe that the system leads to discrimination against them, including the loss of jobs.

Turkish Christians request our continued prayers that: a. Hakan, Turan and their families will know the daily strength and peace of Jesus b. Their next hearing will be conducted fairly and lead to their acquittal c. Article 301 of Turkey’s Penal Code will be repealed d. Family members and friends of the Malatya victims will continue to know the peace of Jesus as the trial process continues e. Justice will be done concerning the perpetrators, and that those behind them will be identified f. The identity card system will be promptly changed in accordance with the European Court ruling g. The Church across Turkey will be emboldened, not intimidated, by these ongoing legal processes h. All judges, other officials, lawyers and journalists involved will hear the gospel of Jesus, feel the Spirit’s conviction of sin and be drawn to the Father’s love, forgiveness and acceptance.

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CIRCULATION CODE 3. OPEN. May be circulated to general mailing lists, outside organizations, and quoted from freely in reports citing “Middle East Concern” as the source of the information.

On 15th February we requested prayer for several situations involving the arrest of believers from a Muslim background (BMBs) in Iran.

We are pleased to report that two BMBs among the seven Christians arrested on 11th January in the south-western city of Shiraz have been released on bail. Recall that release on bail had been offered but at a prohibitive level. The two released were offered lower bail terms than the other five. They were required to submit work contract documents detailing their salaries with the implied threat that and their salaries will be withheld or reduced if they are perceived to cause further trouble.

We regret to report that two additional incidents have occurred in February.

On 2nd February the pastor of the Assyrian Evangelical Church in Kermanshah was arrested while visiting friends near Isfahan. He was arrested along with his host couple and another visiting lady. Security agents confiscated items from the home. The wife of the host has been released. However, the whereabouts of the pastor and the other two detained with him is unknown. These arrests came one month after security agents in Kermanshah searched the pastor’s home, in his absence, and confiscated personal items, before sealing the church building.

On Tuesday 16th a husband and wife, both BMBs, were arrested in Karaj. The wife was released two days later, but the husband remains detained. It is understood that he is accused of proselytism.

There is no further news of the others in Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz and Rasht, for whom we requested prayer on 15th February.

Christians supporting these believers request our prayers that: a. Those detained will know the close presence of Jesus, and be strengthened in their faith b. The purposes of the Father will be worked out in and through them c. All still detained will be released and reunited with their families d. Those released will not face charges or further court hearings e. BMBs across Iran will be able to meet together without fear f. All officials involved will act justly and mercifully, and make the same choice to follow Jesus…

*****

CIRCULATION CODE 3. OPEN. May be circulated to general mailing lists, outside organizations, and quoted from freely in reports citing “Middle East Concern” as the source of the information.

In January we requested prayer following a shooting incident on 6th January outside a church in Nag Hammadi, southern Egypt, in which six Christians and a Muslim were killed, and a number of others wounded.

The three suspected perpetrators were arrested and subsequently charged with premeditated murder, putting the life of citizens in danger and damage to public and private property. They appeared in court on 13th February and pleaded not-guilty to all charges. Their lawyers asked for more time to study the case, prompting the judge to curtail the hearing. He then scheduled the second hearing for 20th March.

Recall that In the days following the attack, Christian and Muslim mobs demonstrated in several towns in Qena province. Some demonstrations turned violent, causing damage to homes and businesses. When the police intervened the rioters were simply told to cease their violence and go home. However, subsequently, several local teenagers, both Christian and Muslim, were arrested, apparently in response to complaints from local citizens and in the media that not enough had been done to prevent and to stop the violence.

Church leaders believe that the Christian teenagers will be released only when they drop their complaints, noting that in recent years, the authorities have pressed Christian leaders to drop complaints in return for “peace”, i.e. peaceful co-existence. However, to drop complaints effectively grants impunity to the perpetrators of violence, encouraging further incidents. The bishop has long been outspoken against discrimination in the local administration.

Also underway, in the same province, is the trial of a Christian man, Girgis, accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year old Muslim girl in November 2009. His defence lawyer was forced to withdraw shortly before the first hearing on 17th January. No local lawyer would take the case, so two Christian lawyers travelled nearly 600 kilometres (370 miles) from Cairo to represent the defendant. They have pointed out large discrepancies between the initial police reports and the final court submissions. They argue that there is no evidence of Girgis’ involvement other than the word of the young girl. No forensic reports have been made available to the defence. The trial is exacerbating sectarian tensions in the area.

The authorities have implicitly acknowledged a link between the alleged rape and the murders, claiming they view the murders as a revenge attack following the rape. However, they have refused to consider the murders as a sectarian incident. They regard the murders as individual crimes, rejecting calls to acknowledge wider sectarian tensions.

Egyptian Christians request our continued prayers that: a. The bereaved will know the comfort of Jesus b. The wounded and traumatised will know the healing touch of Jesus c. The trial of those accused of the 6th January shooting will be conducted with due process d. Girgis’ trial will be conducted with all due process and defence lawyers be allowed unhindered access to the case e. Christian leaders throughout Egypt will know the presence of Jesus, and the Spirit’s wisdom in all dealings with the authorities f. All perpetrators of violence will be convicted by the Spirit, and seek the forgiveness and new life of the Son g. The authorities will acknowledge and undertake effective action to address sectarian violence.