Christian Persecution in India Escalates: First-Ever Jail Sentence for Alleged Conversion
Christian persecution in India is on the rise. For the primary time, a Christian couple has been sentenced to 5 years in jail for allegedly changing individuals to Christianity, as dominated by a courtroom within the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
On January 22, a particular courtroom in Ambedkar Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, sentenced Pastor Jose Pappachan and his spouse, Sheeja Pappachan, to 5 years in jail and fined them 25,000 rupees (roughly $300) every for alleged crimes towards marginalized castes.
Based on Indian Christians, “That is the primary time now we have encountered such a sentence for a suspected conversion try.”
In recent times, the Indian authorities has intensified efforts to stop Hindus from changing to different religions. To this point, 12 states have enacted anti-conversion legal guidelines:
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Odisha
- Madhya Pradesh
- Chhattisgarh
- Gujarat
- Haryana
- Himachal Pradesh
- Jharkhand
- Karnataka
- Uttarakhand
- Uttar Pradesh
- Rajasthan
The couple was convicted underneath the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Illegal Conversion of Faith Act 2021, which was amended in 2024 to incorporate a life sentence for sure violations.
Background:
In January 2023, a BJP official accused the couple of changing individuals from Dalit and tribal backgrounds. Nevertheless, the couple denied the allegations, stating they had been solely educating kids and serving to individuals overcome alcoholism and violence.
They spent eight months in jail earlier than being granted bail by the Allahabad Excessive Court docket in September 2024. The Excessive Court docket dominated that distributing Bibles, educating kids, or participating in charitable work doesn’t represent an try and forcibly convert people.
The courtroom additionally questioned the complainant’s authorized standing. Underneath the 2021 regulation, solely an aggrieved individual or their relative might file a criticism of pressured conversion. Nevertheless, the amended regulation now permits third-party complaints, additional increasing authorities management over spiritual practices.
Though the Indian Structure ensures the freedom to decide on and observe any religion, this rising wave of spiritual extremism immediately violates the elemental human rights of Indian residents. These anti-conversion legal guidelines additionally contravene the Common Declaration of Human Rights, which upholds spiritual freedom as a primary international proper.
