08.10.2024

ICC Files Human Rights Sanctions Request Against Azerbaijan

International Christian Concern (ICC) recently sent U.S. government officials a formal sanctions request against Azerbaijan and prisons where Armenian prisoners of war and Christians were allegedly tortured. 

Herdsmen, Criminal Gang Kill at least 50 Christians in Nigeria

Fulanis team up with bandits who fraudulently ‘sold’ them farmers’ land.

USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Freedom in Nigeria

This report provides an update on continuing systematic and ongoing restrictions on freedom of religion or belief in Nigeria. 

Vietnam: Christians Raise Concerns About Country’s New President

Christian advocates have expressed concern that the August 3 election of communist President To Lam as Vietnam’s new leader will make life more difficult for Vietnamese believers. 

Indonesia: Authorities Foil Planned Suicide Bombing of Two Churches

Security officials in Indonesia have thwarted an Islamic terrorist plan to suicide bomb two church sites in East Java, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.

RUSSIA: Anti-war Christian preacher facing criminal prosecutions

An independent Christian preacher from the Urals is awaiting criminal trial
on charges of repeatedly "discrediting" the Russian armed forces and state
bodies (Criminal Code Article 280.3, Part 1).

Bangladesh protestors target minorities after prime minister flees

On Monday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled Bangladesh after a violent crackdown failed to stop student-led protests against her government. 

India: Dozens of Tribal Christians Forced to Return to Hinduism, “Christians Who Convert From Hinduism Are the Most Vulnerable to Persecution”

Local Hindu leaders have forced more than 100 tribal Christians in eastern India’s Odisha state to undergo a formal ceremony symbolizing a rejection of Christianity and a return to Hinduism, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.

Nigeria: Prominent Christian Politician Found Dead After Abduction From Church

Prominent Nigerian evangelist and politician Joan Onyemaechi Mrakpor, who was abducted from her church in Nigeria’s Delta state on July 30, was found dead in a river on August 1, her body naked and showing signs of torture, the Gist Mania news outlet reports.

Mob Tries to Kill Christian Mother Accused of Blasphemy in Pakistan

Police arrest victim, family flees.

USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom in Afghanistan

This country update describes current religious freedom conditions under de facto Taliban authorities, including the introduction and enforcement of strict religious edicts. 

Rwanda: Authorities Close More Than 4,000 Churches on Health and Safety Grounds

Authorities in Christian-majority Rwanda have closed more than 4,000 small churches in the last month, on the grounds they did not comply with health and safety regulations, BBC News reports.

India: Pastor Arrested on False Accusation of Bribing Hindus to Convert

A pastor in northern India’s Uttar Pradesh state has been arrested by Hindu authorities who falsely accused him of bribing Hindus to become Christians, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.

Nigeria: Fulani Terrorists Murder Christian Farmers, “The Government’s Failure to Protect Christians Has Strengthened the Militants”

Fulani jihadist herdsmen murdered two Christian farmers and severely wounded three others during attacks on Christian-owned farms in northern Nigeria last week, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.

Herdsmen Injure Four Christians in Plateau State, Nigeria

One farmer who was shot suffers a shattered hand.

India: Pastor, Church Member Detained in Uttar Pradesh on Charges of Forced Conversions

A missionary pastor who had recently sought permission to reopen his church in Northern India’s Uttar Pradesh (UP) state was promptly arrested, along with a member of his church, on July 29 on false charges of forceful conversions.

Christians Targeted after Protests Erupt in Nigeria

Islamic Fulani Extremists attacked multiple Christian-owned farms last week in Nigeria, killing farmers and destroying crops. 

China: Evangelical Christian Leader Sentenced to Five Years in Prison

An evangelical Christian leader in Guizhou Province, China has been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment on unfounded charges of fraud and “inciting subversion of state power,” Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports.

Uganda: Muslim Father Burns Christian Daughter With Flat Iron for Leaving Islam

A newly Christian 19-year-old girl in Uganda was burned with a flat iron by her Muslim father after he learned she had left Islam, Morning Star News reports. 

OCCUPIED UKRAINE: Orthodox priest's 14-year "espionage" jail term

On 2 August, the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Regional Court – at a
trial held at the Russian-controlled Crimean Supreme Court in Simferopol
– found 41-year-old Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) priest Fr Kostiantyn
Maksimov guilty on charges of "espionage".

Persecution creeps south in Nigeria

Fulani militants recently killed 18 Christians in a late-night assault in central Nigeria. Greg Musselman with The Voice of the Martyrs Canada says the persecution so prevalent in northern Nigeria is steadily creeping south.

Authorities in Indonesia Foil Plan to Bomb Churches

Student member of Islamic terrorist group and parents arrested.

Indian State Strengthens Anti-Conversion Law Stoking Concerns for Christians

Legislators in Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India, on Tuesday passed a bill that increases punishments for those who violate an anti-conversion law established in 2021.

Chinese Christian Leader Arrives in the US after 16-Year Prison Sentence Release

Zhu Yufu, 71, arrived in the U.S. after 16 years in a Chinese prison for urgent cancer treatment and to reunite with his family. Yufu, from Zhejiang Province, China, arrived in the U.S. on July 28.

Persecution Continues in Nigeria as Terrorists Attack Police Station

In recent weeks, Nigeria has faced severe violence and insecurity, highlighting a deepening crisis for Christians. Suspected Boko Haram terrorists attacked a police station in Borno State, killing two and seizing weapons. In Plateau State, radical Fulani herders ravaged farmland, worsening long-standing disputes.

Iraq: Roua’s Resilient Return

Roua lived a normal life with her family in Bartella, Iraq, attending school while her father worked. Their lives were disrupted one morning by the sounds of shelling and explosions.

Another Discriminatory Anti-Conversion Law Proposed in India

In an affidavit filed earlier this month before India’s Supreme Court, the northwestern state of Rajasthan indicated that it planned to introduce curbs on so-called forced conversions. 

Chinese Officials Propose Harsher Restrictions for Christians

In late June, Chinese authorities discussed placing major new restrictions on Christians and religion in general.

Christian Father, 29, Gunned Down by Muslims in Pakistan

Catholic was sole provider for family with four children.

Hindu Extremist Attack Shuts Down Church’s Services in India

Police inaction contributes to closure.