Prior to sentencing, the pair, Benjamin Dhunigana and John Dai, had been imprisoned without trial for six months. Once sentenced, they were given ten days to appeal to the court for bail and then to fight the case with the help of prominent lawyer.
A VOM contact says that one of the men had been an active evangelist throughout the country, concentrating on reaching Buddhist monks for Christ.
The pair were arrested on January 8, 2006, following a showing of the JESUS film. Neighbors to the family who viewed the film reported the two Christian workers.
Now that a sentence has been handed down, VOM urges international pressure on behalf of these Christian brothers.
Both men are married and have children; local Christians have promised to provide for the men's families as long as they are incarcerated.
Polite letters of protest can be sent to the Bhutanese delegation to the United Nations: *Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bhutan to the United Nations *Two United Nations Plaza, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10017 *Telephone: (212) 826-1919, FAX: (212) 826-2998 *Email: bhutan@un.int
