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Discrimination

• Arrested Iranian Convert Faces Deportation

  

  When threatened with imprisonment for his faith in 2013, a Christian convert named Mojtaba Ahmadi was forced to flee from Iran. Upon his arrival in neighbouring Türkiye, he applied for refugee status. However, despite the fact that he stayed more than a decade within the country, Mojtaba had never been interviewed about his case and, therefore, did not receive official protection as a refugee.

• New Religion Law Takes Effect

  

  On December 12th, 2024, a draft bill was introduced to the parliament of Kyrgyzstan which proposed significantly tighter restrictions on the country's existing religion law. Referred to as a "very dangerous law," the draft legislation sought to enact stricter registration requirements, prohibit the public sharing of one's faith, and mandated that religious communities possess a minimum of 500 adult members in order to gain legal status. For more information, see our previous report.

• Christians Face Opposition and Violence

  

  Christian workers in Vietnam are requesting urgent prayer on behalf of believers who have recently experienced situations of severe persecution. In response to the ongoing concern, VOMC's partnering ministry office in Australia has been providing the affected Christians with greatly needed financial assistance.

• Community Clashes Halt Christmas Activities

  

  Much of the harassment encountered by followers of Jesus in Indonesia arises from local community members who are opposed to Christian activities. Two recent incidents of community opposition have affected churches in their preparations for this Christmas season.

• New Religion Law Passes First Reading

  

  While the Kyrgyzstan constitution guarantees freedom of religion, various laws imposing significant restrictions on religious gatherings have been passed over the years, as well those forbidding proselytism and the distribution of religious literature. Since the 2008 Religion Law came into effect, churches were required to register with the government and, in order to do so, they had to consist of more than 200 adult members. In the years following, further modifications have frequently been proposed. One such bill was introduced in October 2023, but the parliament rejected it on June 6th, 2024. (Read more.)

• Court Permits Believer's Christian Identity

  

  On November 16th, a district judge in Kasur, Punjab, overturned a ruling that had previously barred Sufyan Masih from reverting back to Christianity after allegedly converting to the Islamic faith. Sufyan's lawyer believes that the judge who presided over the initial court hearing had previously ruled against the Christian man due to a fear of receiving backlash from Muslim militants.

• Christians Banned from Eight Villages

  

  On November 17th, the leaders of eight villages in Sukma, a district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, passed a joint resolution that prohibits Christians from staying in their communities. As a result of the decision, all Christian residents have been required to renounce their faith or leave. The order impacts around 100 believers, whose fields, properties and belongings were threatened with confiscation if they did not comply. One local chief who supported the decree claimed that the village council supersedes the Indian Constitution, thus negating any arguments about the believers' right to freedom of belief.

• Christians Displaced Again After Negotiating Agreement

  

  Members of the Great Commission Baptist Church in the Mexican villages of Coamila and Rancho Nuevo have frequently encountered opposition from community leaders for refusing to participate in festivals that go against their Christian beliefs. In March 2024, these difficulties came to a head when Pastor Rogelio Hernández Baltazar was arbitrarily detained, along with other church leaders, for 48 hours. Eventually, 151 believers were forced to leave their homes and find refuge in the nearby city of Huejutla de los Reyes.

• Rape Cases Demonstrate Legal Inequality for Christians

  

  Christians in Pakistan frequently face discrimination when having to deal with matters relating to governmental and/or legal concerns. Two recently occurring sexual assault cases demonstrate the ways in which believers often encounter unjust treatment from the authorities because of their faith. (To review other reports addressing the suffering of our Pakistani brothers and sisters in Christ, go to our country profile.)

• Vigilante Groups Orchestrate Online Blasphemy Cases

  

  While accusations of blasphemy in Pakistan are common and can be motivated by interpersonal conflicts or business disputes, there has been a notable increase in allegations based on social media posts. (To read previously published reports about Christians who have been charged with blasphemy, go to our country profile.)
  
  According to the research findings of the AFP news agency, many such cases are taking place as a result of organized "vigilante groups" led by lawyers and the support of volunteers scouring the Internet for offenders. In some cases, unsuspecting social media participants are duped by strangers into sharing content that could be deemed blasphemous, resulting in police reports being filed against them.