Human Rights

Cuba protests: Christian leaders beaten, imprisoned in government crackdown; Call for Christians worldwide to pray; “Help us!”

Christian pastors are among at least 100 people who have been beaten and imprisoned by the Cuban government amid nationwide protests against systemic rights violations, the severe economic crisis, and the surge in COVID-19 cases, the Christian Post reports. Pleading for help from the international community, the wife of an imprisoned pastor has called on Christians worldwide to pray for Cubans suffering government violence.

Christian leaders among those detained by Cuban government amid nationwide protests

Christian leaders are reported to be among people being detained in Cuba amid rare nationwide protests about the country’s lack of freedoms and worsening economic situation, Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports. Responding to the demonstrations, Cuban President Miguel Díaz Canel has called for “revolutionaries” to fight against the protestors in order to defend the ‘Revolution.’

Evangelical denomination passes resolution to acknowledge Church’s “complicity” in “dispossession, subjugation” of Indigenous peoples in Americas

On June 25 the Evangelical Covenant Church in the US voted to approve its “Resolution to Repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery,” acknowledging what it calls the Christian church’s “complicity” in the “dispossession, subjugation and relegation” of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Christianity Today reports.

Protestant leaders accuse Indonesian government of perpetuating unrest and division

Protestant Church leaders in Indonesia have accused Jakarta of perpetuating unrest and division instead of addressing human rights violations in the country, International Christian Concern reports. The Protestant Church Council, which comprises the Indonesian Christian Church in Papua, the Kemah Injili Church, and the Evangelical Church in Indonesia, published its accusations in a June 2 statement.

YouTube takes down Xinjiang videos, forces rights group to seek alternative

A human rights group that attracted millions of views on YouTube to testimonies from people who say their families have disappeared in China’s Xinjiang region is moving its videos to little-known service Odysee after some were taken down by the Google-owned streaming giant, two sources told Reuters.

Iran uses criminal law to persecute Christians

Iran is persecuting Christians in the country by wielding against them a new law that severely punishes “any deviant education that contradicts sacred Islamic shari’a,” Christian Today reports.

Myanmar: Five civilians killed during increasing attacks on churches

As violent conflicts between the Burmese army and local forces in Myanmar continue unabated, five civilians sheltering in churches were recently killed as an increasing number of church buildings in Kayah and Shan states have been attacked in the fighting, International Christian Concern reports. Kayah state has one of the largest communities of Christians in Myanmar.

Hungary Says Anti-LGBT Law Protects Children

Hungary’s conservative government says a new law prohibiting sharing with minors any content portraying homosexuality or sex reassignment is linked to its fight against pedophilia.

Biden Says US Could Strike Russia in “Cyber Way”

U.S. President Joe Biden says he has made it clear to Russian President Vladimir Putin he would not accept more cyberattacks and election interference. Biden suggested that America could respond in a “cyber way.”

Group of Seven Rollout World Vaccination and Global Tax Plan

The Group of Seven (G7) nations have agreed to participate in a worldwide vaccination plan “to halt the coronavirus pandemic.” It comes amid concerns among G7 leaders that impoverished countries are being left out in the global jab drive. They also want a global tax as they seek to raise their contributions to meet an overdue spending pledge of 100 billion dollars a year by rich countries to help poorer ones cut carbon emissions. And, the leaders made clear they will be seeking to rival China in reaching out to lower and middle-income countries.

UK High Court rules in favor of employee fired for saying men cannot become women

The UK’s High Court of Justice ruled Thursday in favor of Maya Forstater, a British woman who was fired from her job at the Center for Global Development after she posted on social media her belief that men cannot become women, the Christian Post reports. Intervening in the case on behalf of Forstater, the Equality and Human Rights Commission asserted that religious and philosophical beliefs should be protected.

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