Christian human rights group holds London conference

Prominent Congolese human rights lawyer, Marie-Therese Nlandu will be talking about her time in prison in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at a conference in London hosted by Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) on Saturday.

The day will also feature testimony from Pakistani national hero, Group Captain Cecil Chaudhry who will be addressing the conference as part of a speaking tour of the UK.

Marie-Therese Nlandu is a human rights defender and mother of four. In 2006 she returned to her native DRC to contest the Presidential elections. She was retained for her legal expertise by Jean Pierre Bemba, the main opponent to President Kabila.

She was detained in November 2006 on charges of inciting insurrection and possessing illegal firearms as well as setting fire to the Supreme Court, even though she was already in police custody at the time this attack occurred.

She was released after approximately five months in prison. This is the first time that Marie- Therese will be talking about her experiences to an audience of this size.

Cecil Chaudhry is a highly decorated war veteran and former fighter pilot for the Pakistan Air Force. He was denied promotion because he is a Christian, and resigned on principle.

Now one of the leading voices for religious minorities and wider human rights issues, he is currently working closely with the National Commission for Justice and Peace and the Human Rights Commission.

The one-day conference is intended to equip CSW supporters to stand in solidarity with persecuted Christians worldwide, as well as providing an insight into CSW's work this year and vision for the future. Other key speakers include CSW President, Jonathan Aitken, and Claude Moraes MEP.

Speaking ahead of the conference, CSW's National Director, Stuart Windsor, said: "We are honoured to have such remarkable people speaking at our conference. Marie-Therese's courage under fire is extraordinary and her story is both horrifying and inspiring.

"The theme of the conference is 'standing together' and we hope those listening to stories like Marie-Therese's will be motivated to make a stand by campaigning for the thousands of people around the world who are persecuted for their beliefs."