Eritrea: “a Giant Prison”
Human Rights Watch described it as “a giant prison” and Reporters without Borders called it “the most repressive nation on earth”.
Christian
Eritrea: Christians Continue to Face Persecution
Religious persecution in Eritrea is at its highest ever and getting even worse, according to World Watch Monitor, the news outlet of Open Doors, a Christian charity that ranked Eritrea 10th on its World Watch List.
Iran Pastor Irani Facing Death Penalty; Health Deteriorating
Iranian Pastor Behnam Irani, who may face the death penalty for “apostasy”, is facing serious health problems after two years imprisonment, a close friend has told Worthy News.
Kazakhstan: Tea and Prayers lead to Pastor’s arrest
A pastor in Kazakhstan was arrested last month for allegedly serving hallucinogens to his congregation while wielding a powerful psychological influence over them.
Iran arrests Pastor, then closes his Church
Iranian agents closed Iran’s largest Persian-language Pentecostal church Monday, one week after arresting its pastor during worship services, according to Fox News.
Will Obama finally act against violators of religious freedoms?
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has called upon President Obama for a clear and direct response concerning countries that have egregiously violated religious freedoms, according to BarnabasAid.
Iran Detains Pastor As Church Faces Closure In Wider Crackdown
A pastor of the Central Assemblies of God (AoG) Church in Tehran was detained Tuesday, May 21, as part of Iran’s wider crackdown on evangelical believers, Christian rights activists confirmed. The arrest of Reverend Robert Asserian came as his church prepared for possible closure by the end of June due to pressure from the feared Iranian Intelligence Ministry, said advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).
Iranian Christian Prisoner Denied Surgery
A Christian prisoner suffering internal bleeding has been denied proper medical attention in Iran, according to Barnabas Aid.
Senior Christian Clerics Kidnapped in Syria
In April, two senior clerics caught in the Syrian civil war were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen and remain in captivity, their whereabouts unknown.
Pakistan: Minorities have no voting rights
The Executive Council of Pakistan’s Christian Congress issued a press release Saturday condemning the upcoming national election because 51 percent of Pakistani women and 18 percent of Pakistan’s population will not be voting for any candidates.
Islamic nations among world’s worst violators of religious freedoms
Of the 15 worst violators of religious freedom in the world, 10 are Islamic states.
Atheist Accuses Christians of Treason
While the Obama administration carefully avoids any religious connection between Islamic jihad and the Boston bombings, the president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation bluntly told Pentagon officials that Christian troops who proselytize are guilty of sedition and treason and should be punished.
Report: Iran criminalizes Christian faith
A new report by the International Campaign for Human Rights shows that many Christian customs in Iran are criminalized by the authorities, according to Barnabas Aid.
Pastor told to deny Christ, or stay in prison
An American pastor sentenced to eight years in an Iranian prison for planting house churches in the Islamic Republic a decade ago recently wrote that prison officials have told him to either deny Christ, or remain incarcerated indefinitely, according to the Christian News Network.
Appeal overturns Kazakh court’s order to destroy Bibles
An appeals court in Kazakhstan has overturned a previous ruling to destroy Bibles and other Christian literature seized from a street evangelist, according to Barnabas Aid.
Bail petitioned for Christian accused of blasphemy
The Legal Evangelical Association (for) Development (LEAD) filed a bail petition Monday in the Session Court of Lahore on behalf of Sawan Masih, an imprisoned Pakistani Christian accused of blasphemy.
Pakistan: Deja vu after Muslims attack Colony Christians
Within hours after Pakistan’s Supreme Court condemned police for not stopping rampaging Muslims from destroying nearly 200 Christian homes in the Joseph Colony of Lahore, another Muslim mob damaged Christian-owned shops and a church in the Francis Colony of Gujranwala on April 3.
Christian prisoners pay big bail in Islamic Iran
Five Christian converts from Islam who were arrested in Iran last year for evangelistic activities had to post large bail amounts to be released from prison.
Treasury Sued to Remove ‘God’ from Currency
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is suing the U.S. Treasury Department to remove “In God We Trust” from all its currency.
Kazakhstan Court Orders Destruction of Bibles, Christian Literature
A court in Kazakhstan has ordered the destruction of Christian literature, including Bibles, seized from a street evangelist.