Pakistan
Pakistan: 13-year-old Christian boy detained in Pastor Vicky’s case
A 13-year-old Christian boy, who was identified as Johnson, along with his father Nasir Masih, and other family members, were held by the Faisalabad Police in Pakistan to record their alleged false testimony against Pastor Eliezer.
The minor's uncles- Kasif Masih, Gulfam Masih and Parvez Masih- were also held by the police.
Pastor Eliezer, who is also known as Vicky, has been in police custody since his release from hospital on September 12.
According to reports, the Faisalabad police had been summoning them every morning at 0700 hrs and taking them to the torture cell to pressure them to testify against Pastor Vicky.
However, since Pastor Ghazala’s Facebook feed went viral, the five have been in continuous detention by Faisalabad police.
According to reports, all five have so far refused to testify against the Pastor, with Johnson doing so even in court.
Pastor Vicky was attacked and shot by Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) members on September 4 for refusing to embrace Islam and refusing to recite Islamic 'kalma'.
Earlier, Islamic verses were found written in the Pastor’s Presbyterian Church, Rehmat Town on Satyara Road, Faisalabad.
The Pastor immediately called the police and they removed the graffiti from the walls by using paint.
"The pastor was attacked recently," a source told IBNS.
He was discharged from the hospital on September 10 and was immediately detained by police citing an investigation.
"He was kept in detention for 11 days where he was kept without food and water and tortured," the source said.
He was released on September 21 after the court’s intervention.
On September 22, Pastor Ghazala Shafique and Luke Victor went to his house and recorded his statement in a live Facebook feed.
As soon as the feed went viral, police again detained Pastor Vicky, Pastor Ghazala Shafique and Luke Victor from Pastor Vicky’s home.
Pastor Ghazala Shafique was released later in the evening on the same day without her phone.
"Luke Victor and Pastor Vicky were taken to some unknown location," the source said.
"Luke Victor was released by Faisalabad police on September 25 with torture marks on his body," the source told IBNS.
"Vicky was produced before the sessions court on September 26 in a horrific medical condition with charges that during the investigation they found that Pastor Vicky had himself written Islamic verses on the Church’s wall and had self-inflicted the gunshot injury in order to build a case for seeking asylum in Canada," the source said.
The police sought his physical remand for three more days which was approved by the court.
At the court premise, Pastor Vicky informed that he was beaten up and even the SHO threatened to urinate on Holy Bible and that cases would also be registered against Pastor Ghazala Shafique and others who are trying to help him.
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