ASIA/PAKISTAN - Protests in Youhanabad: other 13 Christians released on bail

Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - The Supreme Court of Pakistan has granted bail to 13 Christians who were accused by the police and sent to prison for damaging government property during the protests on 15 March, when anger and the violence of the faithful exploded after two churches were attacked in Youhanabad, in Lahore district (see Fides 16/03/2015).
As reported to Fides by the NGO CLAAS ("Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement"), already in July other Christians, denounced for "terrorist acts", were granted bail (see Fides 06/03/2015). "The government in Punjab is following this case and has submitted a petition to the Supreme Court demanding to cancel the decision to grant bail" reports CLAAS.
Last spring, in three separate raids, 500 faithful were arrested and denounced, accused of causing unrest that followed the attacks, during which two of the alleged accomplices were lynched. Those protests, note the Christian leaders, are "a stain on Christians in Pakistan" and had the effect of overshadowing the attacks on churches, shifting the attention on the crowd, who took the law in their hands.
In addition to the group of 13, there are still 41 Christians in prison, accused of having participated in the lynching of two Muslims suspected of being accomplices of the terrorists. The NGO CLAAS continues to provide free legal assistance to these faithful. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 29/10/2015)

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