Tags
Detainment / Arrest
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Nine-Year Sentence for Christian Convert

Ghazal Marzban
Photo: Article18In January 2025, Ghazal Marzban was arrested and sentenced to six months' imprisonment and 74 lashes on charges of "propaganda against the regime" and for appearing in public without a hijab. Thankfully, the Christian woman was released after serving two months of her previously ordered sentence.
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Church Members Charged for Hosting Sunday School

Photo: Unsplash / Wei Chen In early May, six Christians were arrested in Kaili, a city located within China's Guizhou province. Authorities accused the believers of fraud and "organizing minors to engage in activities undermining public order." The alleged "crime" leading to these charges was hosting a children's Sunday school program and allowing families to worship together as a church.
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New Appeal Filed for Imprisoned Christian

Dr. Augustin Sam'an
Photo: ADF InternationalIn October 2025, Dr. Augustin Sam'an was arrested and charged with "contempt of Islam" due to the content he shared on his YouTube channel. (More details about his situation are available here.)As a result of the subsequent trial, this Christian scholar/apologist was sentenced on January 3rd to five years of hard labour. Not only were the court proceedings conducted in secret, without due notification given to his family or lawyers, but he was also denied access to legal defence. Finally, Dr. Augustin's lawyers were granted access to the file relating to his case on February 11th.
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Believer Released Despite Ongoing Arrests of Church Leaders

Amir-Ali Minaei
Photo: Article18In April 2024, Amir-Ali Minaei was arrested by Iranian authorities and sentenced to 43 months in prison for alleged "propaganda activities against the regime through establishing a house church." The Christian man's sentence was later reduced to 30 months. During his imprisonment, however, he endured physical abuse and suffered from serious heart-related health issues. (View our previously published report.)
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Pastor John Cao Suffers Major Health Concerns

Pastor John Cao and his family.
Photo: ChinaAidIn 2017, Pastor John Cao was arrested by Chinese authorities for allegedly "organizing illegal border crossings." Sentenced to seven years in prison, he was finally freed in March 2024. Following his release, Pastor John hoped to reunite with his wife and two children in the United States, where he holds permanent residency. However, Chinese authorities have withheld the church leader's passport, forcing him to remain in China. (For more details, see our previously published report.)
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24 Christians Recently Released!

Photo: NeedPix A report has recently surfaced, indicating that 24 Eritrean believers were released from prison in early April. While most of the freed Christians had been detained for more than two years, one of them endured imprisonment for over 18 years. As is often the case, few details have been made available, and no official explanation was given for the releases.
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Case Against Believer Adjourned

Saeid Mansour Abdulraziq
Photo: CSWOn April 21st, legal proceedings began in the case against Saeid Abdulraziq, a Christian convert in Egypt. Although the believer has been accused under the country's anti-terrorism laws, advocates believe his arrest is primarily linked to his conversion to Christianity and subsequent involvement in faith-related activities. (To access a previously published report regarding Saeid's case, go to this report.)
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Christian Leaders Released from Prison

Church leaders in front of a banner stating,
”Dad, welcome home.”
Photo: ChinaAidIn August 2022, police raided a family camp run by the Linfen Covenant House Church, resulting in numerous arrests and the closure of both the church and its affiliated school. (For additional details, see these reports.)Among those arrested were Pastor Li Jie, Han Xiaodong and Wang Qiang.
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Court Hearing for Christian Convert

Saeid Mansour Abdulraziq
Photo: CSWSaeid Mansour Abdulraziq converted from Islam to Christianity in 2016, joining the Russian Orthodox Church. Immediately following his conversion, he began experiencing harassment and intimidation from his family members, the wider community, and local police. In an effort to find safety, Saeid sought asylum in Russia but was forced to return to Egypt in 2024.
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Pastor Acquitted of Illegal Conversion Charges

Photo: PxHere In December 2024, Pastor Janmajaya Bhattarai, joined by a team of fellow Christians, distributed gifts and clothing to underprivileged students. At the request of local schools, the believers faithfully carried out this outreach program for several years as a Christmas tradition.
