Couple Ministering to Children in Nepal Imprisoned, Charged with Forced Conversion
A married couple who run two children’s homes in Nepal were imprisoned on April 27, charged with forced conversion, according to a ministry report from EquipNepal.
Christian Persecution
Vietnam Releases Le Thi Hong Lien
Vietnamese authorities released 22-year-old children’s Bible teacher Le Thi Hong Lien from Bien Hoa Mental Hospital yesterday morning.
Pakistani Christian Beaten Almost to Death
Pakistani Christian who was shown kindness by his Muslim employer has been attacked and beaten by a gang of Muslims. Shahbaz Masih was attacked by a group of seven or eight Muslims from his village on April 23 and left for dead, with both legs broken, says a report from the Barnabas Fund.
Vietnam Steps Up Persecution of Hmong Christians
The government of Vietnam is stepping up its persecution of minority Christians, according to detailed accounts received recently by Freedom House’s Center for Religious Freedom.
Dutch Christians To Face Persecution, Rights Group Warns
Human rights group Open Doors has warned Christians in the Netherlands they may soon be persecuted, an influential Dutch evangelical newspaper reported.
Christians Concerned as Belarus Detains Dozens of Opposition Supporters
Dozens of opposition supporters were in jail Thursday, April 28, after a Belarusian court sentenced them for anti government protests, and Christians warned of more tensions in the troubled former Soviet republic.
Church Burned, Christians Attacked in Manipur, India
Christian leaders in the northeastern state of Manipur held an emergency meeting on April 22 to consider their response to an attack on a church in Thoubal district on April 19.
Lao Government Targets Tribal Christians
In recent weeks, details have emerged from Laos outlining a new crackdown on tribal Christians in the southern province of Savannakhet.
40 Pakistani Christians “Released” In Saudi Arabia After Church Raid
40 Pakistani Christians who were detained over the weekend in Saudi Arabia for holding a joint Catholic-Protestant prayer service have been released, news reports said Monday, April 25.
Eritrea Now Holds 16 Pastors, Nearly 900 Christians in Jail
Currently 16 full-time pastors are among nearly 900 Eritrean Christians known to be jailed in local prisons, military confinement camps and shipping containers for daring to meet secretly for prayer and worship outside government-sanctioned churches.
Pastor and Driver Murdered in Pakistan
Unknown killers kidnapped and brutally killed a Protestant pastor and his driver near the capital of Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) last week, apparently in retribution for their evangelizing activities among Muslims.
Two Survivors from North Korean Prison Camps Speak at UN, FCO and EU
Two survivors of the North Korean prison camps have spoken at the UN Commission on Human Rights, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and at the EU.
Iranian Pastor Faces Death Penalty
Iranian Christian Hamid Pourmand must appear before the Islamic (sharia) court of Iran within nine days. An exact court date has not been released. Arrested last September when security police raided a church conference he was attending, the Assemblies of God lay pastor will be brought up before the Islamic court between April 11 and 14 to face charges of apostasy from Islam and proselytizing Muslims to the Christian belief. Both “crimes” are punishable by death.
Indian Chief Minister Rejects Anti-Conversion Law, Raising Hopes For Persecuted Christians
The chief minister of India’s western state of Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deshmukh, has rejected a proposed ‘anti-conversion bill’ amid warnings the legislation would increase the persecution of Christians, BosNewsLife monitored Monday, April 4.
Indonesian Pastor Still Missing
The family of the Rev. Jokran Ratu, kidnapped four months ago on a remote Indonesian island, still does not know whether he is dead or alive. No ransom demand has been received and police have not apprehended the kidnappers.
Vietnam Reschedules Appeal for Mennonite Pastors
Lawyers acting on behalf of the Rev. Nguyen Hong Quang informed his wife last week that his appeal before the People’s Supreme Court of Vietnam has been rescheduled for April 12.
Lay Pastor Beheaded in Bangladesh
Sources have confirmed the murder by beheading on March 8 of Dulal Sarkar, a lay pastor and evangelist in Bangladesh.
Laos Detains 17 Christians, Believers Face “Torture And Death”
At least 17 Christian men in Laos, including church leaders, have been detained by Communist authorities and are facing torture and possible death amid an apparent new government crackdown on Christians, missionaries said Monday, April 4.Christian Aid Mission (CAM), an organization supporting indigenous missionaries, said most of those arrested since last week are from Hueyhoy Nua village in Laos’ troubled southern Savannakhet province.
Pakistani Worshippers Attacked on Easter Sunday
Armed gunmen attacked Christian worshippers as they emerged from Easter Sunday services in a village church near the southern outskirts of Lahore yesterday, killing one young Christian man and injuring seven other congregants.
India Christians Attacked for Watching ‘Passion of The Christ’
At least one Christian was seriously injured when Hindu militants “brutally attacked” church members in India’s southern Kerala state for watching the film ‘The Passion of The Christ’, an official confirmed Monday, March 28.