Armenia Condemns Azerbaijan For Demolishing Church
Armenia’s leading cultural authority accuses neighboring Azerbaijan of demolishing an Armenian Church in a disputed area.
Christian Persecution
Christians Killed As Islamist Militants Attack Mozambique Town
Dozens of people, including Christians, were killed and thousands forced to flee after hundreds of Islamist militants attacked the northern Mozambique town of Palma, aid workers say.
Thailand Denies Returning Christians Fleeing Myanmar Bombardments
Thailand has denied forcing back more than 2,000 mainly Christian refugees fleeing deadly airstrikes in neighboring Myanmar despite video footage suggesting many boarding boats under Thai soldiers’ watch.
China persecution: 30 officials raid house church, remove property without warrants
Amid continuing raids on house churches, more than 30 officials conducted a warrantless raid on the Mt. Olive house church in China’s Chongqing municipality last Wednesday, Christian Post reports. The officials arrived at the house church with trucks in which they removed all property from the home.
China May Give ‘Tortured Rights Lawyer’ Life Sentence
China’s Communist authorities may sentence detained human rights lawyer Chang Weiping to life imprisonment, Christian rights activists warned Monday.
Christian suffer persecution through harsh laws in North African countries
Religious minorities in Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco suffer persecution through the application of “harsh and disproportionate” laws, International Christian Concern reports.
Nigeria: Gunmen abduct eight Evangelists; “please pray”
Terrorists are demanding a ransom of N50million ($122,000) for the release of eight Christian evangelists they abducted in Nigeria’s Kaduna state on Friday, International Christian Concern reports.
Christian Refugees Among Those Suffering As Bangladesh Camp Fire Kills 15
Persecuted Christian families “lost everything” when a fire raged through a refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar city in southeastern Bangladesh, killing at least 15 people, Christian aid workers said Sunday.
Indonesia Suicide Church Bombing Injures 14 Worshipers
Indonesian President Joko Widodo pledged to break up a terror network Sunday after two suspected suicide bombers attacked a Catholic Church in the city of Makassar, injuring 14 worshipers.
Pakistan Considers Death Penalty As Only Punishment For Blasphemy
Rights activists fear that Pakistani law enforcement authorities will make the death penalty the only punishment for blasphemy against Islam.
Egypt Disabled Christian Beaten For Conversion
A physically disabled Christian man was beaten in Egypt due to his conversion to Christianity and later detained by police, friends said Wednesday.
Algeria court upholds five-year prison term for Facebook post
An Algerian court has upheld the five-year prison sentence given to a Christian man convicted of insulting Islam because he reposted a cartoon of Muhammad on his Facebook page three years ago, Morning Star News reports.
India Christian persecution: Tribal animists violently attack Christians at home church meeting
Around 30 tribal animists violently attacked Christians at a home worship service in India’s Chhattisgarh state on March 8, Morning Star News reported Tuesday. India currently ranks 10 on the Open Doors watch list of countries in which Christians are persecuted.
German Pastor Facing Deportation From Turkey
A German pastor who faces expulsion from Turkey urged prayers Tuesday as he awaits the outcome of a trial that could effectively ban him from the country, supporters said.
Federal Court: University administrators personally liable for damages for discrimination against Christian student group
The 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday that individual University of Iowa administrators are personally liable for monetary damages for breaching the First Amendment rights of the Business Leaders in Christ (BLinC) student organization and removing it from the college campus.
Pakistan: High Court changes life sentence to death penalty for Seventh Day Adventist accused of blasphemy
The High Court in Lahore, Pakistan has changed a life sentence to the death penalty in the case of a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church charged with sending a blasphemous text message in 2011, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. Giving its decision on March 10, the High Court ruled in favor of Islamist group Khatam-e-Nabuwwat Forum, which argued that 36-year-old Sajjad Masih should be sentenced to death rather than life imprisonment for his transgression.
Niger Pastor kidnapped; gunmen demand over $150,000 in ransom; “please pray”
A Baptist Pastor from the Tegina, Rafi Local Government area of Niger State, has been abducted by gunmen who have demanded a ransom of nearly 60 million NGN (almost $158,000), International Christian Concern reports.
Christian Baker Jack Phillips Back in Court as 8-Year Legal Saga Drags on – This Time It’s a Transgender Cake
Colorado baker Jack Phillips is back in court again, facing another lawsuit. For more than eight years, LGBT activists have targeted him for his beliefs. This time, he’s being sued for declining to bake a cake celebrating a transgender transition.
‘Islamists Massacre 137 Villagers In Niger’
At least 137 people have been killed in the deadliest suspected Islamist attack to hit Niger, authorities said Monday.
Christian persecution in China: home Bible study raided, at least a dozen people detained
Authorities from the civil affairs bureau and police force in China’s Guizhou province raided a Protestant home Bible study Tuesday morning, reportedly detaining at least 12 people for questioning, Radio Free Asia reports. The Bible study was being attended by members of the Ren’ai Reformed Church, whose pastor Zhang Chulei was one of the first church leaders to sign the declaration of Christian faith initiated by jailed pastor Wang Yi.