An Ethiopian court has announced that it will hear the appeal of an evangelical Christian who was convicted of "causing outrage to religious peace and feeling," after a lower court turned down his plea in March.
Temesgen Mitiku Mezemir, a leader of an Evangelical fellowship group, was sentenced to seven years in prison in February for defaming a replica of the Ark of the Covenant known as the tabot.
According to World Watch Monitor, the charges against the 24-year-old Mezemir was brought by members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC). The 24-year-old evangelical leader appealed the verdict, but it was upheld by a court in March.
A cassation court in Wolaita Zonal Administration, south of Addis Ababa, has decided to hear his appeal and scheduled the hearing for May 9.
The charges against Mezemir stem from an incident when EOC members asked him to compare Orthodox accounts of the tabot with information about the Ark of the Covenant on the internet.
Mezemir explained during the hearing that a picture of the tabot that he had downloaded was used only for reference and was not meant to insult the members of the EOC.
The proceedings took an unusual turn when the judge reportedly asked court attendees to share their opinion about the accused instead of calling the prosecutor's witnesses.
The judge was removed from the case after members of the evangelical church filed an appeal to the Justice Department.
Heavy security was put in place at the second hearing on Jan. 26 as Mezemir and his fellow evangelicals were reportedly attacked outside the court after the first hearing.
Other evangelicals voiced their concerns that the verdict against Mezemir would lead to more unfounded accusations against other members of their community.
A member of Mezemir's group further noted that several violent incidents targeting their church had taken place in the weeks leading up to the court case.
The unnamed source noted that evangelicals in Arba Minch came under attack after a festive banner went missing just before Orthodox celebration of Epiphany on 19. Orthodox leaders called on members to defend their religion, which was reportedly interpreted as an encouragement to launch an attack.
That same month, a group believed to be members of the EOC stormed the meeting place of the evangelical group, stole some musical instruments and destroyed its pulpit, chairs and tables.
The source noted that the evangelical group tried to report the incident to the authorities, but they were attacked by the same assailants "right at the gate of the police station."
"They used machetes, hammers and rocks. Our members sustained injuries on their heads, arms and feet. One of our members had machete wounds on his arm," the source said, according to World Watch Monitor.
