Source: Prague Daily Monitor
Prague, February 27, 2016
Czech Petr Jasek, 52, has been in a Sudanese prison since December for making a video to show the persecution of Christians in the Islamic country, Czech daily Mlada fronta Dnes (MfD) writes Saturday, adding that Czech diplomacy's effort to have him released has failed so far.
Jasek's trial could start in March. He may face a tough sentence in Sudan, whose legislation includes elements of Sharia, the traditional Islamic law, the paper writes.
A key piece of evidence against Jasek is a video he made in Sudan. On the video, a man with burn wounds describes how he sustained them.
According to Jasek, the man was wounded during violent attacks on Christians by Muslims, MfD writes.
However, the man in the video has denied his testimony in the meantime.
He said the Czech took his words out of context and that he sustained the wounds in a car accident, the daily writes.
Jasek has also been accused of illegally crossing the state border, the paper writes.
Jasek's journey to Sudan to help local Christians was financed by the Voice of Martyrs, a U.S. organisation whose Civic Movement for the Help of Persecuted Relgions branch is seated in the Czech Republic.
Czech diplomats who unsuccessfully tried to negotiate Jasek's release are uncertain as to the sentence he may face.
The Czech Foreign Ministry would not comment on the case for fear it could disturb the trial in Khartoum, MfD writes.
"I can only say we have been dealing with a consular case in Sudan," the ministry's spokeswoman Michaela Lagronova is quoted as saying.
