Indian Police Arrest, Torture Eleven

Tribal Christians for Evangelism

Washington, D.C. (February 15, 2010)–International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on February 1, Indian police arrested eleven tribal Christians including four women in Thagadur, Karnataka after Hindu extremists accused them of forcefully converting Hindus to Christianity.

The extremists dragged the Christians out of their homes and assaulted them before filing a police complaint. The police tortured the Christians and forced them to accept the false accusation of forcefully converting Hindus to Christianity. Indian officials routinely accuse Christians of forcefully converting Hindus. Such charges are made to stop Christians from evangelizing to Hindus.

The Christians were sent to Madikere district jail on February 2. With the intervention of Christian leaders, the police released the eleven Christians on bail on February 4.

The Christian leaders told ICC that Christians don’t forcefully convert Hindus. Most of the Christians in Thagadur are tribal and make a living working as laborers in coffee plantation.

Last year, the highest number of attacks against Indian Christians took place in the state of Karnataka, where these latest attacks occurred.

ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa and South Asia , Jonathan Racho, said, “We condemn the Indian police for arresting and torturing the eleven tribal Christians. We urge India to stop targeting the victims of persecution and protect them against attacks by Hindu radicals.”

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