Mauritius-Iraqi-refugees

Catholic Church criticizes Mauritius on Iraqi refugees

APA-Port Louis (Mauritius) The head of the Catholic Church in Mauritius, Bishop Maurice Piat on Tuesday expressed his indignation at the fate Christians in Iraq after the silence surrounding the persecution of Christians in the country.

Speaking in Port Louis at a meeting with six Iraqis who are in Mauritius, he said “the silence of the international press concerning what is happening to Christians in Iraq is scandalous.”

He said still more worrying is the \”deafening silence” of the Mauritian authorities in spite of many appeals from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Amnesty International concerning the fate of the six Iraqis who had applied for political asylum in Mauritius.

The six Iraqi nationals arrived in Mauritius on false passports on the 24 November 2008 and were remanded to jail in spite of a court order to have them released on bail following an appeal by the State Law Office.

The Iraqis are now free on bail after a home run by the Catholic Church agreed to welcome them and Amnesty International gave the guarantee that the accused will appear in court.

SR/pm/APA

http://www.apanews.net/apa.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=93386