China: Govt Wants the House Church to Vanish
Since President Xi came to power in 2013, Christians from underground churches have been harassed, imprisoned and tortured and churches have been shut down for no valid reason. Last month, Beijing initiated a new campaign against house churches called “Return to Zero.” The goal is to “dismantle the scale [of churches], dissolve the organization, and dismiss the church.”
Pakistan: Court Upholds Death Sentences of Men Involved in the Kot Radha Kishan Lynching
The Lahore High Court upheld the death sentences of three individuals convicted of lynching a Christian couple in November 2014. The couple was brutally murdered by a mob after they were falsely accused of committing blasphemy.
North Korea: Government Denies Existence of Political Prison Camps
At the U.N. Human Rights Council, North Korea denied once again the existence of political prison camps in the country, during periodic UN rights council review. In rare remarks, North Korean diplomats defended their country against the accusations coming from the West.
Sri Lanka: Christians Grapple with Aftermath of Easter Bombings Amid Fears of Fresh Attacks
Arasaratnam Verl is one of hundreds of Sri Lankan Christians whose lives were changed forever on Easter Sunday. He lost his son and his sister and brother-in-law in the Islamic terror attacks. But despite his pain, he and other Christians from Zion church are praising God and asking for forgiveness for their enemies.
Pakistan: Asia Bibi Finally Allowed to Leave
Asia Bibi, a Christian woman who spent nearly a decade on death row for allegedly committing blasphemy, has left Pakistan. “Asia Bibi has left the country,” a Foreign Office source told Dawn News TV on Wednesday. “She is a free person and traveled on her independent will.”
Nigeria: Boko Haram Kidnap Pastor, Aid Worker and Othes son Way to Borno State
The National Youth Service Corp has confirmed that one of their aid workers, a pastor and several of his church members have been kidnapped by Boko Haram. The group was taken in late April as they were traveling to Borno State to provide aid and evangelize to displaced victims of Boko Haram attacks.
India: Fire at Historic Church Building on Easter Stuns, but Does Not Stop Worshipers
The historic Maranatha Full Gospel Church in eastern India was attacked and its contents burned to ash the night before Easter Sunday. Pastor Anil Juit arrived to find a heap of mats, bibles and drums gathered and burned on the floor. Hindu radicals are suspected to be responsible for the vandalism.
Bukina Faso: New Information Shows Attackers Tried to Convert Victims in Church Attack
Six members of the Assemblies of God Church in Sirgadji village were shot dead behind their church. It is now being reported that the gunmen tried to force them to convert to Islam at gunpoint beforehand.
United Kingdom: Report Shows Christian Persecution Close to ‘Genocide Levels,’ Largely Ignored due to ‘Political Correctness’
The interim findings of a report, which was released last month and commissioned by British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, shows that anti-Christian hostility is not only spreading geographically but also in severity, in some areas “coming close to meeting the international definition of genocide.”
United States: State Dept. to Host Second Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom
The U.S. State Department has announced it will again gather hundreds of government representatives from foreign nations, religious leaders, victims of religious persecution, and representatives of numerous civil society groups for a second Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom.
Nigeria: Twenty-five Christians Killed by Boko Haram in Door-to-Door Attacks
On April 29, Boko Haram fighters invaded the Christian community of Kuda, located near Madagali in Nigeria’s Adamawa State. The terrorists surrounded the community and went door to door, killing as many as 25 people.
Uganda: Proposed Church Regulations Threaten Church
Ugandan pastor addressed his congregation about a proposed government policy he believes is threatening thousands of churches’ existence. It will require all ministers to obtain formal theological training from a recognized institution. Ministers will also be required to register new and existing churches and declare their source of income.
Nigeria: Three Christians Killed in Ambush Attacks near Jos
Three Christians were found shot to death in two separate attacks in the predominantly Christian villages of Dong and Nzehrivoh, near Jos, Nigeria. Fulani herdsmen are suspected in the attacks, as they have been attacking Christian residents of these villages for the past two years without reason.
Pakistan: EU Sends Open Letter Demanding End to Persecution of Religious Minorities
Over 50 members of the European Parliament have signed on to an open letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan calling for an end to the persecution of Pakistan’s religious minorities, warning that Pakistan could lose subsidies and trade preferences if the situation for the country’s religious minorities does not improve.
Laos: Christian Arrested, Asked to Renounce Faith
Police in southern Laos have allegedly arrested, beaten and detained a man in Savannakhet province for practicing his Christian faith. The man was arrested for illegally cutting timber in a protected forest. No other non-Christian loggers were arrested.