Russia Authorities Threaten Baptists, report
Baptists in the Russian town of Lipetsk south-east of Moscow say local authorities are using “a bureaucratic way” to restrict their activities, BosNewsLife monitored Wednesday, December 3.
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India: Christians in Orissa Fear Violent Christmas
Christians in Orissa state are anticipating Christmas with fear as Hindu extremists have called for a state-wide bandh, or forced shut-down on all sectors of society, on Dec. 25 – a move that could provide Hindu extremists the pretext for attacking anyone publicly celebrating the birth of Christ.
Mexico: Oppression of Christians Persists in Various Parts of Country
As the number of evangelical Christians in southern Mexico has grown, hostilities from “traditionalist Catholics” have kept pace, according to published reports.
Egypt: Thousands Protest, Vandalize Church
Thousands of Muslim protesters on Sunday (Nov. 23) attacked a Coptic church in a suburb of Cairo, Egypt, burning part of it, a nearby shop and two cars and leaving five people injured.
Egypt: Christians Arrested, Shops Looted in Village
Authorities in an Egyptian village arrested 50 Coptic Christians, whose shops were then looted, to pacify Muslims following violence that erupted on Nov. 4 over a Christian boy’s unwitting break with custom.
Vietnam: Authorities Pressure New Christians to Recant
In violation of Vietnam’s new religion policy, authorities in Lao Cai Province in Vietnam’s far north are pressuring new Christians among the Hmong minority to recant their faith and to re-establish ancestral altars, according to area church leaders.
House Church Leader Zhu Baoguo Sentenced to ‘Re-education Through Labor’
ChinaAid learned a house church leader in Henan province, Pastor Zhu Baoguo, was sentenced to one year of “re-education through labor,” accused of being an “evil cult” leader.
Pastor Still Missing In Colombia; Christians Fear For His Life
Christians in Colombia were still searching for a Christian leader Wednesday, November 12, more than six weeks after he disappeared amid reports that several fellow pastors were killed by leftist rebels.
China: Legal Wheels Turn Slowly for Uyghur Christian
Chinese officials have yet to declare a new court date for Alimjan Yimit, a Christian house church leader and ethnic Uyghur in China’s northwest province of Xinjiang detained since his arrest on Jan. 12.
Iran: Son of Martyred Pastor Free on Bail, Awaiting Trial
Concerns about the health and safety of the son of martyred Iranian pastor Hossein Soodmand are swirling around Ramtin Soodmand as he awaits trial for “promoting anti-government propaganda.”
China Releases Key Christian Leader
A key leader of China’s rapidly growing underground house church movement who disappeared last month, was free Saturday, November 8, after Chinese authorities released him and other family members, Chinese Christians confirmed.
India: Orissa Braces for More Violence After Another Murder
Terrified Christians already ravaged by more than two months of violence in Orissa state’s Kandhamal district braced for more carnage as suspected Maoists today gunned down a local worker of the Hindu extremist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Colombia: Church Leaders Under Fire
Christians in Colombia are anxious to learn the fate of pastor William Reyes, missing since Sept. 25, even as three other pastors have gone missing.
Kyrgyzstan Adopts Controversial Religious Law
Kyrgyzstan’s controversial new Religion Law was adopted unanimously by the country’s parliament Thursday, November 6, adding to concerns among small Christian groups and churches that they will be targeted by authorities.
Eritrea Christian Killed In Military Camp
Another evangelical Christian has died in one of Eritrea’s most feared military detention facilities after authorities apparently refused to provide him with medicines against malaria, Christians with close knowledge about the situation told BosNewsLife Monday, November 3.
Detained Baptist Pastors Face Uncertainty In Kazakhstan And Azerbaijan
Two Baptist pastors in two former Soviet republics faced legal challenges Monday, November 3, because they continued worship services despite opposition from local authorities, Christians and rights watchers said.
India Terror Blasts Damage Church; 50 Killed, Pastor Injured
A dozen bomb blasts rocked the Indian state of Assam Thursday, October 30, killing at least 50 people and injuring 300 others, including Christians, a main alliance of churches and mission groups told BosNewsLife.
Algerian Court Dismisses Case against Christians Accused of ‘Blasphemy’
The Washington-DC based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC) www.persecution.org has learned that a blasphemy case brought against three Christians was dismissed on October 29, 2008 by a court in Algeria. The court is located in Ain Turk, a town 267 miles away from Algiers, the capital.
Eritrean Officials Imprison 20 Members of Underground Church
The Washington-DC based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC) www.persecution.org has learned that Eritrean officials imprisoned about 20 Christians belonging to the underground Faith Missions Church on October 12, 2008 in Deki-Zeru, a town 30km away from Asmara, the capital.
Detained Uyghur Christians Face Execution And Mistreatment In China
Family and activists continued efforts Wednesday, October 22, to obtain the release of two Uyghur devoted Christians in China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang, saying one of them may be executed while another believer is facing mistreatment in a labor camp.