NON-STOP CHURCH KEEPS FAMILY FROM BEING ARRESTED

AMSTERDAM A Dutch church has been holding continuous sermons for five weeks as it exploits an obscure law to protect an Armenian refugee family from deportation.

Today, the service in Bethel church in The Hague will enter its 38th day with the help of 450 volunteer pastors. Under a law originating from the Old Testament and common law in the Middle Ages, police may not enter a church during a service.

Theo Hettema, chairman of the general council of the Protestant church in The Hague, says this is the first time in the Netherlands that police have insisted they will respect the sanctuary only if a service is in progress. “If they go on the street, they could be arrested,” said Hettema, who led the first service on Oct. 26.

The Tamrazyan family was given a residence permit but Dutch prosecutors mounted multiple appeals and overturned it.