wfn.org | Cape Verde: Concerns Remain for Adventists Freed by Court

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@wfn.org>]

Despite the freeing on July 26 of three Seventh-day Adventists in Cape Verde
(as reported in ANN August 10), concerns remain regarding a probable police
appeal of the verdict.

The three Adventists, José Maria Monteiro Rodrigues, Jorge Adalberto Ramos
Tavares, and Benvindo da Cruz Ramos, were declared innocent of all charges
brought against them. Judge Dr. Helena Barreto stated that "the only crime
which the three Adventists had committed, if that constitutes a crime, was
to be Seventh-day Adventists."

They had been imprisoned for over a year on charges of desecrating Catholic
churches and had been subjected to a horrific ordeal.

"Our three brothers have spent twelve months in prison in very difficult
circumstances," reports Felix Monteiro, president of the Adventist Church in
the Cape Verde islands. "They have been tortured by all kinds of methods,
including electric shocks, to try to force them to confess to a crime that
they had not committed, but God gave them strength and a great deal of
courage to stay on the side of truth."

The Adventist world church has supported the three members throughout their
imprisonment and trial. Church leaders Julien Thombiano and Emmanuel Nlo Nlo
traveled to Cape Verde to investigate the case and press for the release of
the falsely-accused prisoners.

"After receiving news of the verdict, we sent a letter to the Cape Verde
ambassador to thank the Justice department of his country for this
courageous decision," says John Graz, director of the Public Affairs and
Religious Liberty department at the Adventist Church World Headquarters in
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. "However, we have to be prepared for the
possibility of the police appealing the verdict. We want to commend the Cape
Verde judiciary for their commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights and principles of justice and freedom." [Jonathan Gallagher - ANN]
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Contact Information:
Communications Department
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600
Phone: 301-680-6300
e-mail: info@gc.adventist.org
web: http://www.adventist.org/