A Sudanese Christian who spent more than a year in prison has been released, but he remains in danger in the capital, according to International Christian Concern (ICC).
Amin Ismail was freed from Kobar Prison in Khartoum, ICC reported Oct. 23. He had been detained since July 2025, when he returned to the capital to visit his wife and was arrested the following day.
Ismail’s imprisonment followed years of pressure on his father, Pastor Ismail Azzaz, who fled Sudan after refusing to surrender church land amid government efforts to bring churches under state control, according to ICC. The organization said courts repeatedly found Amin innocent, yet he remained behind bars.
“I thank God for my release, and I am deeply grateful to ICC for their prayers and the help they gave,” Ismail said in a statement published by the organization.
“Their support played a big role in this miracle. I know it was the Lord who opened the door, and I continue to trust Him to take me safely out of the capital. Please keep praying for me and my family,” he said.
ICC said Ismail’s safety remains uncertain because he is still in Khartoum. The organization reported that people had attempted to arrange his release so that he could be killed outside prison, although it did not identify those allegedly involved.
The circumstances surrounding his detention also included an alleged interest in his wife by a powerful man in the capital, ICC reported. The organization linked the case to the wider pressure faced by Ismail’s father over church property.
Pastor Azzaz, who remains in exile, welcomed his son’s release but continued to fear for the family’s safety, according to ICC.
“We give thanks to the Lord for this answered prayer,” an ICC staff member said. The organization called for continued prayer for Ismail, his wife and the rest of the family as he seeks a safe way out of the capital.
Church property disputes persist
Ismail’s case comes amid continuing disputes over church property and leadership in Sudan, where Christian congregations have faced pressure from authorities and other interests seeking control of church assets.
In September, ICC reported that authorities were seeking to transfer control of property belonging to the Sudanese Church of Christ’s Marzouq branch in Khartoum. The dispute followed years of government intervention in church governance, including the recognition of alternative leadership committees and legal action against church leaders who opposed those changes.
A local pastor quoted in that report described how pressure over church property could begin with administrative decisions and threats before escalating into divisions within congregations.
The dispute is part of a wider pattern of challenges facing Sudanese Christians, who have endured attacks on churches, displacement and threats against church leaders during years of political upheaval and armed conflict.
In October 2025, police arrested Presbyterian evangelical pastor Daud Fudul Kachu in Atbara, River Nile state, amid a dispute over church property. According to an earlier report, a businessman sought to have the church vacate its premises.
Police reportedly pressured the pastor to sign a document agreeing not to oppose attempts to seize the property. He was released the following day after intervention by a church lawyer.
Sudan’s war, which began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, has further devastated communities and disrupted church life. Christian congregations have faced the destruction of buildings, displacement of members and difficulties maintaining their ministries amid the fighting.
Imail’s release from prison has not ended his ordeal. He remains in the capital while seeking a safe way to leave, according to ICC.
His family’s experience highlights the vulnerability of Christians caught in disputes over church leadership and property, even as the country’s wider conflict continues to threaten civilian life.
ICC has urged Christians to pray for Ismail’s protection and for the safety of his wife and family as he seeks to reach a place beyond the reach of those he fears.
