The Luanda police command said this Monday that pastors and workers of the Angolan wing of the IURD were arrested on Sunday on suspicion of disturbing religious worship, participating in riots and disobeying dispersal orders.
According to the representative of the national police department of the province of Luanda, Nestor Gubel, 33 believers of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCGC) of Angola were arrested on Sunday and sent to the prosecutor’s office for summary trial.
“This arrest occurred at a time when the police were carrying out actions and the arrested citizens committed these crimes,” Gubel said, adding that “the case was opened and transferred to the prosecutor’s office” and was then heard. “a judge-guarantor of a summary judgment.”
The Angolan wing of the IURD condemned the “illegal” detention of more than 40 pastors and workers following clashes with believers from the Brazilian wing on Sunday after the opening of churches.
In a statement, the “reformist” wing of the UCKG, led by Bishop Valente Bizerra Luis, said there was a confrontation between the two wings on Sunday that forced police to intervene, resulting in the arrest of more than 40 pastors and workers.
“To date, there is no news report identifying the subjects [detidos]neither about the crime nor about their whereabouts, preferring to remain silent and refusing to say where they are, preferring to simply say: we cannot say anything due to orders from above,” the note says.
According to this wing of the Angolan IURD, the manner in which the arrests were carried out violates the right to information provided for in the Angolan Constitution and translates into “an abuse of power that results in detainees being held hostage with the intention of coercing the community into action or inaction.”
Images circulating on social media confirmed confrontations between worshipers on Sunday, the day some places of worship were reopened, including the Alvalade Cathedral, where Mass was led by Bishop Alberto Segunda, leader of the Brazilian wing.
In November 2019, IURD dissidents in Angola accused the Brazilian leadership of financial crimes, racism, discrimination and abuse of power, among other things, and constituted a reformist wing recognized by the Angolan government as the legitimate representative of the Brazilian religious movement.
The Angolan government recognized the new name of IURD Angola, the Church of the Kingdom of God in Angola (IRDA), and also decided to transfer all assets to IRDA, which is disputed by the Angolan wing.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.