Mob Assaults High Profile Pastor, Threatens to Bomb Churches in Nepal

Pastor Sagar Baizu of the Federation of National Christians in Nepal. Morning Star News

A pastor in Kathmandu, Nepal, was attacked on July 19 by a group of eight men who threatened to kill him and bomb the churches in the country.

The spokesperson and co-general secretary of the Federation of National Christians in Nepal (FNCN), Pr Sagar Baizu, 46, was attacked from behind in a crowded café when he took a coffee break between two meetings.

The assailants quickly threw many blows to his head and escaped before they could be identified, Baizu told Morning Star News.

"They beat me for a minute and a half and suddenly fled the site," he said.

"They said, 'We will blast your church and all the churches with bombs and shoot you and all your leaders,'" he added.

With the help of the cafeteria staff members, Baizu informed police, and he was also rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention. Doctors advised him to wear a neck brace for a week.

Baizu, who has headed Anugrah Vijay Church (Grace Victory Church) in Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu District, for 23 years, filed a report on the assault with police.

Police registered a case against six to eight unidentified men under "attempt to murder" and "threat of bomb blast," he said.

Kathmandu Valley police provided security to the pastor. Policemen were deployed outside his church building and residence.

Baizu has been advocating on behalf of Nepali Christians for more than a decade.

"I am the official spokesperson of the Federation of National Christians in Nepal and have been speaking about the rights of the church for many years now," he said.

"This is not the first time that I have received threats," he added.

He said he was assaulted for his boldness to "stand for the church and with the church."

"This is persecution that came because of my Christian activism," he said.

"They spoke about bombing the church and killing the Christian leaders. Otherwise they would have never spoken like this," he added.