by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - A pastor in Nepal has lost his appeal against conviction on false charges of forcibly converting Hindus to Christianity and will now spend a year in prison, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. Nepal is no longer officially a Hindu state, but Nepalese Christians are subjected to persecution from radical Hindu groups who want the country to return to Hinduism.
Having been arrested several times between 2020 and 2021 for the alleged conversion of Hindus to Christianity, Pastor Keshav Raj Acharya was eventually charged and sentenced to one year in prison in June 2022 to one year, which was appealed by Keshav’s lawyer.
At his appeal, Acharya said sharing his faith and carrying religious materials could not be classified as forcing people to convert away from Hinduism to Christianity and that this religious freedom is protected under Nepal’s Constitution, ICC reports. Nevertheless, the court dismissed the appeal, highlighting the injustices of harsh anti-conversion laws and major flaws in the country’s criminal justice system.
International Christian Concern notes in its report that there has been an increase in the persecution of Christians in Nepal. “There has been a noticeable rise in violence and harassment against Christians, with radical Hindus attacking churches and resorting to tactics such as tarring Christian faces black to humiliate and demean them,” ICC said.
“The rise of Radical Hinduism in the country, coupled with the apparent impunity enjoyed by attackers who target those they perceive as forcing conversions, has exacerbated the situation for religious minorities,” ICC added.