Sudan Flogs 53 Christians for Rioting
Authorities flogged 53 Christians who were convicted of rioting over efforts to move their Easter ceremony out of a public square, the Sudanese Council of Churches said Friday.
Four women and two children received 15 lashes each Thursday before they were released. Authorities gave 20 lashes each to 47 men and sentenced them to 20-day jail terms, a council official said on condition of anonymity.
The Christians were arrested Tuesday while protesting a last-minute decision by authorities to transfer the ceremony to a smaller, closed-door venue in a suburb of Khartoum, the capital.
Interior Minister Abdelrahim Mohammed Hussein said later that the ceremony was licensed to be held in a closed place, rather than a public square, for security reasons and to avoid sectarian clashes.
Police used tear gas and batons to disperse the protesters.
Flogging usually is reserved for such offenses as drinking alcohol or having illicit sex.
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