Turkish Court Jails Officers Over Killings Christians
A Turkish court on Monday, March 21, ordered five military officers and two civilians jailed as part of an investigation into the 2007 killings of three Christians at a Bible-publishing house.
Christian Persecution – Europe
Christians in Turkey Acquitted of ‘Insulting Turkishness’
After a lengthy legal battle, a Turkish judge acquitted two Christians of insulting Turkey and its people by spreading Christianity, but not without imposing a heavy fine for another unrelated charge.
NEWS WATCH: Experts Exhume Bodies of Romanian Dictator, Wife
Forensic analysts have exhumed what are believed to be the bodies of late Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, who were executed in 1989. It comes after relatives raised doubts that the couple was really buried in Romania’s capital Bucharest.
BREAKING NEWS: Pentecostal Pastor Shot Dead In Dagestan
The pastor of the largest Pentecostal church in Russia’s violent, mainly Muslim republic of Dagestan, has died after being shot in the head, in an apparent bid to intimidate converts from Islam, Christian rights activists and police said Friday, July 16.
Christians Worldwide Pray For Burma
Thousands of Christians worldwide will unite in prayer for Burma next week as part of global day of prayer for the nation, organizers said.
NEWS WATCH: Ukraine’s Prime Minister Challenges Election Results
Ukrainian election officials say they will not consider Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s complaints of presidential election fraud. Results show opposition leader Victor Yanukovich defeated Tymoshenko by 3.5 percentage points in the February 7 runoff election.
Tajikistan Churches Face Closures, Uncertain Future
Devoted Christians in several areas of Tajikistan faced uncertainty Tuesday, January 5, over the future of their churches after the former Soviet republic introduced a new religion law that the United States has criticized as highly restrictive.
Wave of Clergy Killings In Russia (Feature)
The second murder of a Russian priest in as many months has prompted a call by the Orthodox Church for Russians to think about their country’s spiritual and moral condition.
Baptist Congregation Appeals Against Closure
Members of a Baptist congregation in Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe have appealed to the City Court against a ban on their activity, which was apparently imposed because they meet in a private home without state registration, Worthy News learned Wednesday, December 2.
Kazakh-Born Christian Leader Threatened With Deportation
A Kazakh-born Christian leader who holds a German passport was preparing for deportation from Kazakhstan Tuesday, December 1, after local officials reportedly objected to a worship service.
Christian-Muslim Tensions Feared in Russia after Train Blast and Killing Priest
There were fears Sunday, November 29, of more tensions between Christians and Muslims in Russia after suspected Islamist rebels bombed a train that killed 25 people and a gunmen murdered a missionary priest.
URGENT BREAKING NEWS: Ukraine Border Guards Halt “Dying” Christian Activist (Update)
An elderly Christian Ukrainian woman who made headlines for uncovering corruption in a key border area of Ukraine was “near death” Thursday, October 29, after she was prevented by Ukrainian border guards from seeking medical treatment in neighboring Hungary.
EU Ambassadors Discuss Belarus Threats To Close Megachurch
European ambassadors to Belarus have met with the leader of New Life Church in the capital Minsk to discuss “threats” by authorities to “destroy” one of the country’s largest evangelical churches by confiscating its building, a former cowshed, church officials said in a statement obtained by Worthy News Thursday, August 27.
Protestants Protest Religious Restrictions In Belarus
Some 50 Protestant pastors, many of whom were punished for religious activities, have written to President Aleksandr Lukashenko complaining of long-standing restrictions, an advocacy group said Tuesday, August 25.
Turkish Christians Fear Nationalism After Murder And Threat
Turkish Christians remain concerned about rising nationalism and hostility towards non-Muslims in Turkey, following the killing of a Christian businessman and the attack against an evangelist, Worthy News monitored Tuesday, August 11.
Turkey Christians Fear No Justice For Killers Of Publishers
Turkish Christians fear those responsible for murdering three Christian publishers will not face justice and that authorities will be unable to tackle “structural injustice” towards the country’s Christian minority, trial observers said.
Belarus Threatens To Close Down Evangelical Church
An evangelical church in the Belarus’ capital Minsk faced uncertainty Thursday, July 16, as authorities threatened to close it because a foreign pastor preached at a worship service.
NEWS ALERT: Belarus Evangelical Church Faces Imminent Eviction By Security Forces
There was uncertainty about the future of one of the largest evangelical churches in Belarus Tuesday, June 2, after authorities ordered it to abandon its building in the capital Minsk.
Chinese House Church Leader Receives “Death Threats”
The leader of the 250,000 member Chinese House Church Alliance was free Tuesday, April 7, after he was apparently briefly detained in Beijing by over a dozen police officers and “threatened with death”, following a baptism service.
Lawyer Prosecuted Turkish Christians Plans European Court Case
The lawyer of two Turkish Christians on trial for “insulting Turkishness” plans to take their case to the European Court of Human Rights after they were fined for taking “illegal” church offerings, trial observers said in comments monitored by Worthy News Saturday March 28.