Sri Lanka: Churches Increasingly Targeted in Civil War
Following a renewed outbreak of civil war between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), churches in the northeast are fast becoming another war casualty.
Human Rights
China Detains Mother Of Beijing House Church
The 76-year-old mother of a well-known Beijing house church activist was said to be behind bars Saturday, February 10, on charges of damaging public and private properties.
India Militants Kill Christian Public Servant; Violence In Other States
Suspected militants have killed a 58-year-old practicing Indian Christian and former public servant because of his faith in Christ, a senior human rights official told BosNewsLife Monday, February 12.
Uzbekistan “Harshening Crackdown” On Religious Freedom And Media, groups say
A major Christian rights group expressed concern Wednesday, February 7, about Uzbekistan’s “harshening crackdown on religious freedom.”
China Releases House Church Activist After Three Years Imprisonment
Chinese authorities have released well-known Beijing house church activist Liu Fenggang after he served three years in prison in Zhejiang province, his supporters confirmed Wednesday, February 7.
Uzbekistan Pastor Remains Jailed; Family in Hiding
An evangelical pastor remained behind bars in Uzbekistan Monday, February 5, more than two weeks after he was detained by secret police on charges of “incitement to hatred on national, racial or religious grounds.”
Persection North Korean Christians “Worse” Than Ever, Document Shows
Persecution of Christians in North Korea “is worse than ever”, amid fresh reports of torture and executions, Christian investigators said Friday, February 2.
India: Mystery Shrouds Death of Christian Convert
An 18-year-old convert from Hinduism breathed his last on January 12, four days after he was found lying wounded near a railway track in the north-central state of Madhya Pradesh. Christians say he was pushed out of the train by Hindu extremists.
Zimbabwe Security Forces Detain Christian Leaders During Church Meeting
Zimbabweans planned to hold a prayer vigil Monday, January 29, outside a court-room where eight detained Christian officials were due to appear after Zimbabwe’s largest crackdown on Christian leaders in six years.
Vietnam Security Forces Detain Two Prominent Dissidents
Two prominent human rights activist remained in custody Tuesday, January 30, a day after Vietnamese security forces arrested them in Ho Chi Minh City formerly known as Saigon, fellow dissidents said.
China Detains 600 Christians, Demolishes Churches, Report Shows
China detained at least over 600 Christians last year amid an ongoing crackdown on unregistered ‘house churches’, a report released Tuesday, January 30, showed.
Uzbekistan: Secret Police Arrest Andijan Pastor
Uzbek secret police arrested a Protestant pastor from his church in Andijan last weekend, seven months after a regional prosecutor had accused him of committing high treason.
Vietnam “Severely Tortures” Christian Degar Montagnard Prisoners, Families Say
Family members and friends expressed concerns Saturday, January 27, about the treatment of predominantly Christian Degar Montagnard prisoners in Vietnam some of whom have allegedly been severely tortured and forced to eat rice mixed with broken glass.
China Security Forces Raid Church, Release Christian Leaders
Chinese security forces arrested church leaders while raiding a house church in Anhui Province during a worship service, and confiscated Christian literature and equipment, a Christian rights group said Saturday, January 27.
Somalia Capital Rocked By Violence After Church Attack
Christians in Somalia remained on edge Friday, January 26, after a church attack and fresh reports that five people were killed in clashes in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
Uzbekistan Secret Police Detains Protestant Pastor
Uzbekistan’s secret police detained Protestant Pastor Dmitry Shestakov at his church in the city of Andijan last weekend, after a regional prosecutor had accused him of “committing high treason,” a Christian news agency reported Thursday, January 25.
India State Militants Threaten Christian Orphanage; Counsellors Arrested
A Christian orphanage and a Christian drug rehabilitation center in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh have come under pressure to close down, shortly after a controversial anti-conversion law came into force, human rights investigators said Thursday, January 25.
Muslim Gunman Attacks Somali House Church, Injuring Leader
A Muslim gunman opened fire on a Somali house church where Christians were worshipping on January 2, seriously injuring the church leader.
India Militants Attack Missionaries, Throw Teenager From Train
Less than two weeks after their activists reportedly threw a Hindu convert to Christianity from a train, Hindu groups attacked Christian missionaries in India accusing them of “religious conversion,” BosNewsLife monitored Monday, January 22.
Eritrea Security Forces Detain Dozens of Christians, “Burn” Bibles
Security forces have detained dozens of devoted Christians, including government workers, in the East African nation of Eritrea, a Christian news agency reported Tuesday, January 23.