ICC Note:

Since the passing of the new constitution in Nepal, religious freedom in Nepal has significantly deteriorated. Although the constitution declared Nepal to be a secular democracy, it also included a clause that made it illegal for anyone to “act or make others act in a manner which is contrary to public health, decency and morality, or… convert a person of one religion to another religion”. Effectively, this have made evangelism and religious conversion in Nepal illegal and Christians are already paying the price. Will the courts in Nepal do the right thing and uphold the universal right of religious freedom?

09/22/2016 Nepal (Christian Today) – The issue of religious freedom in Nepal has been raised at the UN this week, after the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) and Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) jointly highlighted the case of eight Christians who have been charged with attempting to convert children to Christianity after distributing a pamphlet about Jesus in two schools.

The case is the first to test Nepal’s religious freedom since the country’s new constitution was implemented in 2015.

The group, who were helping children through the trauma of last year’s major earthquake in the country, is alleged to have violated existing laws on conversion and Article 26, paragraph 3, of the constitution, which regulates religious freedom and states that “no person shall act or make others act in a manner which is contrary to public health, decency and morality, or… convert a person of one religion to another religion”.

The joint WEA and CSW oral statement to the UN Human Rights Council said the case “is an early indicator of how legal provisions may be invoked to restrict peaceful expressions of religious faith and the very basis of a secular state and society where human rights are protected”.

It urged Nepal to drop all charges against the eight Christians and amend Article 26 of the new constitution “to guarantee the right to choose and change one’s religion or belief, and the right to choose not to believe in a religion.”

Separately, the WEA said this week that the case “exposes [the constitution’s] disrespect for religious freedom and offers a glimpse into the new republic’s future”.

There have been reports that members of the group, arrested in June in the Charikot area of Nepal’s Dolakha District, were tortured by the authorities.

Five of the seven men and one woman were working for the organization Teach Nepal when they distributed the material in the schools, which have Christian principals but do not exclusively teach Christian children. The two school principals and a pastor coordinating the efforts were also arrested.

The chairman of Teach Nepal, Barnabas Shrestha, said in July that the group were “invited by a pastor to do the counselling in the school,” adding that the police “wanted our people to say yes, they have preached the Gospel… which is not true”.

A spokesperson for CSW told Christian Today that the final hearing of the case was supposed to be held today, but was postponed until 26 October.

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Also in July, the Government announced to all leaders of Christian orphanages and boarding schools in Kathmandu that it would close them down, impose large fines and confiscate possessions if just one Christian booklet was found in their institution. It was also announced that attending a Bible club or praying with children were banned.

Further, an anonymous source told World Watch Monitor that the Social Welfare Council, which approves foreign aid for various programs, has stopped granting approval for Christian ones.

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