Sudanese police arrested an attorney representing the two South Sudanese pastors on trial in Khartoum facing charges of spying.

Police arrested Mohaned Mustafa when he participated in a protest against an attempt to demolish part of an Evangelical Chuch in Bahry, Khartoum on 1 July. A pastor named Hafez was also arrested.

The attorney was charged under Article 99 of the Sudanese Penal Code which calls for imprisonment of not less than six months, a fine, or both for anyone who obstructs a public servant or uses criminal force to stop him from carrying out his duties.

Supporters of the attorney claimed he was protesting peacefully. There have been previous disputes over the ownership of the church.

Trial to continue 14 July

Separately, the trial of Pastors Yat Michael Ruot and David Yein Reith continued on Thursday, with both men appearing in court defend themselves.

During the trial, they were questioned regarding documents found on their computer including church reports, maps showing the population and topography of Khartoum, Christian literature, and a study guide on the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS).

The two pastors said they did not know how the NISS document was put into their computers, while saying it is not illegal to access Google and get information about Sudan including maps from the internet.

The lawyer defending the two pastors complained he has only been allowed to speak to his client for 10 minutes, which is not enough to prepare a defense. The trial will continue on 14 July.

Photo: Rev. David Yein