[Lauchenoiria]

Kerlian News Service

International Edition

Religious extremists attempt to break prisoners out of Restricted Region
6th June 2019

Fourteen extremist followers of the Goddess were arrested this morning, suspected of involvement in a conspiracy to break convicted criminals out of prisons in the Restricted Region. On Tuesday evening, a breakout took place in a Level 8 Detention Facility within the Restricted Region, in which five criminals managed to escape, and over 30 guards were injured. Terrorist group Warriors of the Goddess claimed responsibility for the attack.

Religious teachings say that after death, the Goddess will punish people in proportion to their sins before they can enter the afterlife. Some religious Kerlians believe that the treatment of criminals inside the Restricted Region is ‘excessively cruel’, and favour the death penalty, so that criminals may be punished by the Goddess instead. Several religious groups have campaigned for the closure of the Restricted Region, protected and backed by Councillor Natalia Hart.

The fourteen arrested today are all suspected members of the outlawed Warriors of the Goddess, and are being interrogated about the location of the five escapees, three of whom have been convicted of terrorism, and two of treason. The arrests took place during a clandestine coffee morning organised by a church in Sophiehill where they were attempting to raise funds for illegal anti-torture protests. Two church elders were among those arrested, accused of organising the illegal meeting, however are not thought to have been involved in the breakout.

The five escapees were all serving life sentences inside a Level 8 Women’s Detention Facility in the Restricted Region (Level 8 denotes the second-highest level of security). Three of the escapees – Dyan Mosconi, Margit Goode and Nerissa Huxley – were members of another outlawed group – the Men’s Equality Movement, a militant organisation who want to end the protections of women’s rights in Kerlile and allow men into positions of power, as in the patriarchal countries.

The other two escapees, Chea Pierno and Margarida Ferreiro, were both convicted of treason in 2018 after attempting to betray Kerlian secrets to the enemy during the war in Lauchenoiria. It is expected that this pair will attempt to illegally cross the Lauchenoirian border. Extra patrols are set to take place at the border, and the Lauchenoirian authorities have been alerted. All five are to be considered armed and dangerous. If seen, Kerlians are urged not to approach, but to immediately contact the authorities.