A Nepali pastor to be jailed for praying after Supreme Court denies his appeal
Pastor Keshab Raj Acharya faces a one-year prison sentence for his religious activities, marking a significant setback for religious freedom in Nepal, after the country’s Supreme Court upheld a previous judgment against the pastor, who now awaits the court’s response to his appeal for converting the sentence into a fine.
“Pastor Keshab must now face his prison sentence unless the court accepts his appeal to have the prison sentence converted into a fine,” the legal group ADF International, whose allied lawyers are supporting the pastor’s legal defense, said in a statement.
In a statement, Pastor Keshab expressed his distress but remained hopeful, calling for international intervention to protect religious freedom in Nepal, formerly the world’s only Hindu kingdom. “While facing more jailtime is distressing, I find solace in God, believing that anything is possible through Him,” he said.
Keshab, 35, leader of the Abundant Harvest Church in Pokhara, Nepal, thanked his supporters for their prayers and support for him and his family.
Source: Local contributor to the Christian Post
