Supporters of Brian Haw, the Christian peace protestor whose long-running Westminster vigil against the Iraq war led to the government banning demonstrations in the vicinity, have expressed outrage at his arrest yesterday.

The president of the United Church of Christ in the USA has been arrested after trying to deliver to the White House a pastoral letter that contained 60,000 signatures calling for an end to the American-led military action in Iraq.

European Baptists are renewing their efforts to press for the release of an imprisoned peace pastor, Zaur Balaev, after an Azerbaijan court last week rejected his appeal against a two-year prison sentence for illegal religious activity and violence.