In early December, Eritrean security forces raided a house where 27 secondary school students had gathered together for prayer and worship. The Christian students – most of whom ranged in age from 14 to 16 years old – were taken to a police station and held in custody for a few days before being transferred to the Mai Serwa prison which is located along the outskirts of Asmara.
On January 6th, two Christian women had been returning home from work in Gujranwala when they were approached and shot by two men on a motorcycle. During the attack, Shabana and her 18-year-old daughter Misbah were both struck by bullets. The mother was instantly killed at the scene, while Misbah received a serious bullet wound to her back – requiring urgently needed hospitalization for treatment. At last report, the Christian teen remains in critical condition.
According to a recently published report by Article18, at least 96 Christians were sentenced to prison in Iran during 2024 for a combined total of 263 years' imprisonment. This statistic indicates a sixfold increase from the previous year, in which 22 Christians were arrested for a combined total of 43.5 years.