Christian leaders in Nepal have spoken out against the arrest of Pastor Acharya. Pastor Mukunda Sharma, Executive Secretary of the Nepal Christian Society, told Morning Star News that he had urged the District Superintendent of Police to act fairly and not implicate Pastor Acharya in any criminal charges.

“I told that the police cannot prosecute the pastor for exercising his faith and that it is a gross violation of human rights (…) He assured me that the pastor was taken into custody only for an inquiry,” Pastor Sharma explained.

Despite these comforting words, Pastor Acharya was presented before a judge and remanded in judicial custody for seven days. However, with Nepal now on lockdown in response to the spread of COVID-19, Pastor Acharya is still being detained by the police. 

Source: persecution.org