Russian Pastor Sentenced Over Anti-War Sermon
Concerns grew Sunday about a frail elderly Russian pastor after he was sentenced to a prison camp for publicly criticizing Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Christian Persecution
Over 100 Killed In Weekend Violence Across Nigeria; Christians Targeted
Clashes between local security forces and Islamic fighters linked to crime gangs and designated terror groups killed more than 100 people across Nigeria over the weekend, with many victims identified as Christians, several sources confirmed Sunday.
China Detains Nearly 30 Evangelical Christians
Nearly 30 Christians in China’s Hubei province are on trial after being accused of organizing and using an “evil cult to undermine law enforcement,” charges rights advocates say are part of ongoing persecution of believers in the Communist-run nation.
Christians Mourn As Fulani Herdsmen Kill Seven In Nigeria’s Benue State
Christians in Nigeria’s central Benue state were mourning on Wednesday seven believers reportedly killed by Islamic Fulani herdsmen in escalating anti-Christian attacks.
Christian Fights For Abducted Daughter In Pakistan
A Christian father in Pakistan’s city of Lahore continues to seek justice for his 13-year-old daughter, who was abducted in July by a Muslim man from the same neighborhood.
Boko Haram Kills Eight Christians in Fresh Attacks on Nigerian Villages
Members of Islamic extremist group Boko Haram killed at least eight Christians in two separate attacks across Borno State over the weekend, local sources and authorities confirmed.
Iran Arrests 53 Christians On Espionage Charges; Rights Groups Call It Persecution
Iran has detained dozens of Christians on charges of espionage and “anti-security activities” for Israel, drawing condemnation from rights groups who call the move part of a broader crackdown on the country’s tiny Christian minority.
China Detains Priest On ‘Illegal Business’ Charges Over Sermon Recordings
Chinese authorities have charged a prominent house church leader in the coastal city of Wenzhou with “illegal business operations” over distributing sermon recordings, rights activists said Friday.
Vietnam Police Raid House Church Meeting In Broader Crackdown
Christians on Wednesday urged prayers for the “swift and safe release” of three church members in northeastern Vietnam, including a Catholic priest, after security forces reportedly detained them during a home worship service.
Uttarakhand Passes India’s Harshest Anti-Conversion Law
Christians expressed concern Tuesday after Uttarakhand approved India’s most severe anti-conversion legislation, prescribing life imprisonment and steep fines for what the Hindu nationalist-ruled state calls “forced conversions.”
Christian Teen Rescued After Abduction, Forced Conversion in Pakistan
A 16-year-old Christian girl in Pakistan has been rescued after she was allegedly abducted by a Muslim man who forced her to convert to Islam, marry him in a sham ceremony, and endure months of abuse, rights advocates said.
Pakistan Christians Fear Future After Killing And Church Attacks (Worthy News In-Depth)
Christians in Pakistan’s Punjab province were reeling Sunday from fresh threats by suspected Islamic extremists following the murder of a manual worker they said was killed for his faith in Christ.
Former Ugandan Sheikh Beaten, Home Demolished After Converting to Christianity
A Muslim who said he abandoned Islam and “put his faith in Christ” after experiencing a vision in a mosque in eastern Uganda has been hospitalized after relatives beat him, demolished his home, and abducted his wife and six children, Christians said Wednesday.
LEAD Ministries Demands Justice for Murdered Christian Laborer in Pakistan (Worthy News Investigation)
Christian activists are demanding justice after a farm worker was shot dead in Pakistan’s Punjab province, allegedly by men linked to a Muslim landowner, in a killing that underscores ongoing attacks against religious minorities in the Islamic nation.
Prayer House Shut Down in Indonesia Amid Church Closures, Mob Attacks (Worthy News Focus)
Rights activists say local authorities in Indonesia’s West Java province have shut down a Christian prayer house and evicted its evangelist leader, underscoring broader concerns about religious freedom in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation.
Eritrea Pressured To Release 7 Church Leaders Jailed For Decades (Worthy News In-Depth)
Christian advocacy groups are intensifying calls for Eritrea to release seven church leaders who have been held without trial for more than two decades.
Wave of Anti-Christian Attacks Alarms Church Leaders Across Europe
Church leaders are raising alarm as thefts, arson, and vandalism against Christian sites surge across Europe, with France at the center of a disturbing trend. Violence against Christians has also increased across the continent, Worthy News learned.
Pakistan Police Detain 80 Christian Villagers For ‘Terrorism’ (Worthy News Investigation)
Pakistani Christians urged prayers Thursday after police reportedly detained some 80 Christian villagers, including children, in Pakistan’s Punjab province on disputed “terrorism” charges.
Nigeria Emerging as Hub for 22 Islamic Terror Groups, Report Warns
A new report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety) warns that Nigeria has become the headquarters for 22 Islamic terrorist groups operating across Africa. According to the organization, these groups are working in concert to eradicate Christianity and indigenous cultural traditions within the country, with the long-term goal of imposing a sultanate–a form of Islamic rule led by a sultan, in which political authority and religious leadership are fused under Islamic law.
Christian Brick Kiln Worker Victim of Organ Trade Highlighting Broader Concerns (Worthy News Investigation)
A Christian laborer forced to work in Pakistan’s harsh brick kiln industry is recovering after falling victim to an organ trafficking scheme “that ignited outrage” across the nation, according to an investigation shared with Worthy News.