Masked men believed to be national security personnel seized Osama Saeed Kodi, chairman of the Christian Youth Union of Al Jazirah state, on the 19th of February, handcuffed him and blindfolded him, Christian leaders in Sudan said.

“They told him, ‘We will kill you if you continue with Christian activities in Tambul,’” said one church leader, whose name is withheld for security reasons.

They beat him and threatened to kill him if he continued voicing objections to the burning of a Sudanese Church of Christ (SCOC) worship hall in Tambul, and then released him after a few hours, the sources said.

“I have been brutally beaten by national security personnel on my chest and on my right leg,” Kodi told Christian leaders in Al Jazirah state. “I am still in pain as a result of this beating. I thank all those who stood with me during the detention. I shall continue to defend the right of the church despite all these obstacles.”

Suspected Muslim extremists on the 3rd of January, set fire to the church building, the only worship hall in Tambul, which is used by various denominations in the rural area. It was set ablaze shortly after SCOC members left their Sunday service.

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