‘Defiant’ pastors detained

Rwandan police have arrested six pastors they accuse of being the ‘masterminds’ behind a plot to defy a government order closing churches. As previously reported in Legalbrief Today, the structures all fail to comply with building regulations and noise pollution laws. According to a proposed new law, all preachers must have theological training before opening a church. BBC News reports that police claim the suspects held ‘illegal meetings with bad intentions’ following the closure of more than 700 churches and a mosque in Kigali. Pentecostal churches, often run by charismatic preachers claiming to be able to perform miracles, have grown rapidly in many parts of Africa in recent years.