On March 25th, after months of committee proceedings and deliberations in the House of Commons, Canada's governing Liberal Party has forced an end to the debate – resulting in the passage of the controversial Bill C-9. The legislation has now moved to the Senate for further consideration.
As political conflict continues in Iran, serious concerns have been raised about the safety of the country's prisoners of conscience, including at least 48 Christian captives. In June 2025, Evin Prison was struck by an Israeli missile, resulting in major damages to the facility which houses many religious and political prisoners. Those in custody were transferred to other locations of the country where they were imprisoned amid unsanitary and overcrowded conditions until the repairs were completed. Human rights advocates warn that the renewed instability raises the risk of similar incidents occurring.
Zhang Chunlei is an elder with the Ren'ai Reformed Church in Guiyang, China. Following his arrest in March 2021, he was sentenced to five years in prison for allegedly "inciting subversion of state power." The Christian leader also received accusations of fraud relating to the receipt of church offerings – a charge commonly used to suppress unregistered congregations. Fellow believers describe the elder as a "gentle, yet firm spiritual leader."
In January, Ms. Park Tae-yeon – a long-serving missionary who lovingly cared for children in Russia – was planning to retire after 33 years of ministry. However, before she could return to South Korea, Russian authorities prevented the Christian woman from leaving the country. In the process, they also arrested her for alleged immigration violations. (For more details, see this report.)
