Two Sudanese pastors have been arrested, four months after the high-profile release of fellow pastors Yat Michael and Peter Yen, who could have faced the death penalty after accusations of “spying”.

It is not yet known why Rev. Kowa Shamaal and Rev. Hassan Abdelrahim (from the Sudanese Church of Christ) were arrested, nor where they are being held, after security services picked them up from their homes in Khartoum early on Friday (18 Dec.) morning.

But local sources told World Watch Monitor the new arrests were thought to be part of a wider campaign against church leaders, with at least three other pastors thought to have been taken in.

Meanwhile, Hafiz Mengisto, pastor of Khartoum’s Bahri Evangelical Church is facing trial for challenging a government employee overseeing the destruction of parts of the church complex in July. The next hearing is today (23 Dec.). The case against the church’s lawyer, Mohaned Mustafa, was dismissed on procedural grounds.

Sources: Radio Tamazuj, MEC