Belarus Bans Christian Festival, Group Says
Belarus has banned a Christian music festival, initiated by Catholics, minutes before it was due to begin, a religious rights group said Thursday, September 25.
Christian Persecution
Eritrea: Christians Languish in Eritrean Prisons
An evangelist imprisoned since 2006 for his Christian activities is receiving especially harsh treatment because of his ministry to inmates.
India: Murder, Rape, Arson Continue
The unprecedented wave of anti-Christian attacks that began a month ago continued in the past week with more incidents of murder, rape and arson, mostly in the eastern state of Orissa and southern state of Karnataka. Two Christians were also found murdered in the northern state of Uttarakhand.
China Holds Secret Trial For Pastor Zhang Zhongxin
A closed-door trial in China will decide this week whether evangelical Pastor Zhang Zhongxin must continue serving a two-year forced labor sentence for his activities related to evangelism and training Christian missionaries, an advocacy group said Wednesday, September 24.
Four Christians Killed In Iraq
Authorities were under pressure Wednesday, September 24, to investigate the death of at least four Christians in the Iraqi town of Mosul, amid signs of a fresh wave of anti-Christian violence in Iraq.
Iran: ‘Apostasy’ Bill Appears Likely to Become Law
Without international pressure there is little to stop the Iranian government from ratifying a bill that will make “apostasy,” or leaving Islam, a capital crime, say human rights groups and experts.
India: Two States Warned Against Allowing Persecution
After three weeks of widespread attacks on Christians and their property in Orissa state and other parts of the country, the federal government finally warned two states that their failure to prevent violence could lead to the imposition of “President’s Rule.”
Vietnam Launching Massive Crackdown On Degar Montagnard Christians
There was concern Wednesday, September 17, about the whereabouts of possibly dozens of Degar Montagnard Christians who have been detained in Vietnam’s Central Highlands as part of a major crackdown on unregistered worship, friends said.
Hindu Militants Attack Nine Churches In India State
Suspected Hindu militants attacked nine churches in parts of India’s southern state of Karnataka Sunday, September 14, as part of ongoing violent protests against the alleged conversion of Hindus into Christianity by missionaries, police said.
Kazakhstan Baptists Fined For Unregistered Worship
Several Baptist Churches in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan continue have been raided by police because they refuse state registration on principal grounds, BosNewsLife learned Monday, September 15.
Serial Attacks by Hindu Radicals on 12 Churches in Karnataka, India
Attacks on Christians continue to increase in Karnataka State.
Iran: Parliament votes in favour of punishing apostasy with death
The Iranian Parliament voted on Tuesday in favour of a bill stipulating the death penalty for apostasy. The bill was approved by 196 votes for, seven against, and two abstentions.
Mexico Detains Suspects For “Massacre” Of Evangelicals
Mexican authorities have detained a group of men for their alleged involvement in killing three native Indian Christians and seriously injuring six children of the same evangelical family in the country’s Chiapas state, BosNewsLife established Wednesday, September 10.
Pakistan Muslim “Kidnapper” Granted Custody Over Christian Girl
A Pakistani court has granted custody of a 13-year-old Christian girl to the Muslim man accused of abducting her, observers of the controversial case confirmed Wednesday, September 10.
India: Christians Attacked in Karanataka, India
As tensions continued in the eastern state of Orissa, Hindu nationalist groups intensified attacks on churches and Christian institutions in the southern state of Karnataka.
Iranian Christians Face Death Penalty In Iran
Two Iranian Christians from Muslim backgrounds may receive the death penalty on charges of apostasy, according to prosecution documents published Tuesday, September 9.
Iran: Martyr’s Son Detained in Wave of Arrests
Five arrests in three cities across Iran in August suggest a continued crackdown on Iranian Christians by authorities, sources told Compass.
Degar Montagnard Christian Receives House Arrest In Vietnam
An active Degar Montagnard Christian remained under house arrest in Vietnam’s Central Highlands Monday, September 8, after he was already forced to sign a statement renouncing Christianity and pledging to stop attending a local church, his friends said.
Christians from Muslim Background Charged With Apostasy in Iran
Two Christians from Muslim backgrounds were officially charged with apostasy last week at the Public and Revolutionary Court in Shiraz, Iran, raising fears for their continued well-being.
Vietnamese Authorities Invade Church Service
Ten Vietnamese officers of the local police authority some of them in uniform, others in plain clothes and others in disguise, last Sunday, (August 31), rushed into the Church With A Mission house church interrupting the service and creating great anxiety among new converts.