Vietnamese police have indicted Father Nguyen Van Ly for propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam under article 88 of the criminal code. Ly has already spent ten years in prison because of his efforts to promote religious freedom.
As many as sixty officers raided Ly's home on February 18, taking hundreds of documents, six laptop computers and numerous cell phone SIM cards. They returned six days later and moved him outside of the city where he is now under virtual house arrest while awaiting the criminal proceedings.
In 2001, Ly was sentenced to fifteen years in prison but was suddenly released in early 2005 as part of an amnesty (see the details).
Pray that all charges against Father Nguyen Van Ly will be dropped. Ask God to give Christians in Vietnam a boldness of faith that draws others to Him (Matthew 5:14-16).
Pray that the persecution of Christians by Vietnamese authorities will decrease and that freedom of religion will be recognized throughout the country.
For more information on the persecution facing Christians in Vietnam, click here. A new 14-page report on religious freedom in Vietnam was released this week by the Religious Liberty Commission of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. Go to the weblog page to download a copy.