Four women are facing charges that can end them in prison for
fourteen years after preaching about Jesus’ Second Advent. Authorities said they undermined the importance of Covid vaccines and other national health mandates.
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| Nyagatare Intermediate Court in north east Rwanda. Four women who were caught after preaching Jesus' second Advent are accused of disobeying enforcement of law which carries a prison sentence of up to 14 years in jail/ Photo by Faith Reporter on January 3, 2024. |
The
prosecution alleged that Esther Mukamazimpaka, Elisabeth Tuyigane, Genevive
Nikobahoze and Edith Ngendahimana undermined the safety and effectiveness of
the Covid vaccines and incited residents not to subscribe to the mandatory
national health scheme.
According
to Rwanda’s penal code, any person accused of inciting civil
disobedience is liable to an imprisonment of five to seven years, that doubles
between ten and fourteen years when the incitement results in harm.
The
four women have been in police custody in Kayonza for nearly four months
without appearing before court in this Civil law country that brands itself as
being in transition to the Common law system.
Two
of the accused are in custody with their babies in this Central African country
that is also a member of the East African Community bloc.
The case before the court [Story in Local language]
While
responding to the accusation, the quartet pleaded not guilty.
They
accepted that they preached to their village mates about Jesus’ Second Advent
but denied asking residents to or not to do anything of “earthly authorities,”
“We
preached Jesus’ coming. The preparation for Jesus’ coming does not concern
earthly authorities. It concerns individual lives,” said Esther, who, the court
asked first with her baby on her back.
Elisabeth
added that the only action of the message was asking fellow residents to repent
of their sins at an individual level.
The
prosecution argued that while talking about Jesus’s coming, the quartet took a
discourse into the signs of Jesus’s coming in which they did not bless Covid
vaccines and the mandatory health scheme.
The
accused explained that they preached people to stand free in their conscience
in every decision they take in life as they prepare to meet their Lord.
“Our
message was clear and is written on the brochures we distributed. It’s not
about the earthly kingdom. Our message is about the Kingdom of God and personal
preparation,” said Genevive with her baby on the back.
The
court’s cross-examination of the accused dwelt much of what they believed other
than what they were accused of having done.
The
court asked them if they believed in Covid vaccines and the national health
scheme.
All
of them insisted that it was personal to believe or not to believe the safety
and effectiveness of the vaccines and other health mandates.
The
court wanted to know if the quartet could doubt that which the government deems
fit for its people, such as the vaccines and establishment of the health insurance schemes.
The
four insisted that they were not ready to argue about government programs,
citing that they would like to be given the freedom to make decisions on their personal health life styles.
The
court asked them why they refused to take Covid vaccines to which they answered
it was voluntary and required personal consent to sign the vaccine form.
The
court will deliver its decision on the case and sentence them on January 9,
2024.
Background
The
accused are among hundreds in different parts of the country whose commonality
for being arrested surrounds relating current events with the scriptures and doubting Covid vaccines.
During
the Covid vaccine era, authorities forcibly vaccinated residents, resulting in
people fleeing the country.
As
the poor country struggles to win appreciation for swaying the masses into
Digital currency and National Identity by 2025, the authorities are cracking
down on all potential voices that may not appreciate it starting with those who
did not accept the vaccines.
All
out-of-church congregations have been banned to prevent people from freely
studying the scriptures in relationship with current events without the watch
of authorities as is in churches.
The
overambitious authorities announced in December 2023 that it is illegal to
preach even on social media without authorization from authorized denominations
to operate in this fully controlled small country. [story in local language]
Unless one does not relate scripture with the current events, it’s easy to become authorities’ target for felonies such as insurrection and incitation.
Click here for a similar story in local language
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