PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (U.S.A.)
OFFICE
OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
May 26, 2015
The President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), I
write with urgent concern about the Rev. Yat Michael and the Rev. Peter Yen, who are
currently held in custody by the government of Sudan. The pastors are members of the South Sudan
Presbyterian Evangelical Church. They were
arrested in Sudan and have been charged with undermining the constitutional system
and spying, offenses punishable by death or life imprisonment.
We would be extremely grateful if the U.S.
government would use its networks to find out more about these pastors’ situations and to employ every means at your
disposal to urge the government of Sudan to ensure that their human and civil
rights are not violated.
Our partner churches in Sudan and South Sudan
have asked us to do what we can to secure the protection and release of the
Revs. Yat Michael and Peter Yen and to promote respect for religious freedom in
Sudan. We know that you share our concerns for religious freedom around the
globe. We urge you to use the resources
at your disposal to ensure that the rights of these pastors are respected
fully.
Respectfully yours,
Gradye Parsons
Stated Clerk of the General Assembly
cc: Rabbi David Saperstein,
Office of International Religious Freedom
Rep. James McGovern, Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission
Sen. Robert Menendez, Chair, Senate
Committee on Foreign Relations
Sen. Bob Corker, Ranking
Member, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
Sen. Chris Coons, Chair,
SCFR Subcommittee on African Affairs
Sen. Jeff Flake, Ranking
Minority, SCFR Subcommittee on African Affairs
Rep. Ed Royce, Chair,
House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Rep. Eliot Engel, Ranking
Member, House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Rep. Christopher Smith,
Chair, HCFA Subcommittee on Africa
Rep. Karen Bass, Ranking Member, HCFA Subcommittee on Africa
