WORLD : Nepal to Free Jailed Christians
Nepal, the world’s only Hindu kingdom, will free all Christian prisoners who were jailed by the former government for illegal proselytizing, the royal palace said today.
The palace said in a statement King Birendra has “granted amnesty to all religious prisoners” on the advice of Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai in view of the “new political environment . . . in the country.”
Currently, 29 Christians, including 14 children younger than age 18, are serving sentences for proselytizing. There are no religious prisoners of other faiths. A human rights report recently said 144 other Christians are in police custody across the country facing trial.
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