David Lah, the Burmese-Canadian preacher who gained notoriety for claiming devout Christians were protected from Covid-19 before catching the virus himself, has been released from jail and is now in Canada, according to Christian organisations.
Myanmar-born Lah was jailed for three months on August 6 in Yangon after holding church services in defiance of a Covid-19 ban on mass gatherings—after which he and dozens of his followers and their families became infected.
Following a 21-day quarantine, after he was clear of the virus, Lah was arrested on May 20 for violating the 2013 Natural Disaster Management Law. The judge seemingly took into consideration the time he had already spent in detention.
The Toronto-based preacher was reportedly freed from Insein Prison on August 14 and on the same day departed from Yangon International Airport to fly to Canada, reported Catholic news agency UCA News.
Nonprofit US-based organisation International Christian Concern (ICC) said the government had arranged for his departure in a discreet manner, given the controversy of his case in the Buddhist-majority country.
Wai Tun, a pastor who was jailed under the same charge, has also been released, according to ICC.
Among the cases traced to his service at a church in Insein township on April 6 was rock band Iron Cross singer Myo Gyi, who has since recovered, while the scandal even touched Christian Vice President Henry Van Thio and his family, who had attended an earlier service with Lah in February, although they later tested negative.
"If people hold the Bible and Jesus in their hearts, the disease will not come in," Lah told worshippers in a video clip that went viral. "The only person who can cure and give peace in this pandemic is Jesus."
