CSW calls for convictions of three Iranian Christians to be overturned
Religious freedom advocacy Christian Solidarity Worldwide has called for the convictions of three Iranian Christians to be overturned after they were found guilty of national security-related crimes last month. Mervyn Thomas, CEO of the UK-based organisation, said the eight year sentences handed down to Suroush Saraie and Eskandar Rezaie – both members of the Church of […]
Iraq and Philippines Christians join Red Wednesday religious freedom solidarity display
World Watch Monitor Landmarks in the UK, Ireland, Iraq and the Philippines were floodlit in red yesterday to highlight the persecution of faith groups for their “peacefully held beliefs”. The “Red Wednesday” initiative is in its second year and has been pioneered by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). This year it is also […]
China urged not to repatriate North Korean defectors
BosNewsLife Christian rights activists have urged China not to forcibly repatriate ten North Korean defectors, including a four-year-old child, who were detained by police in Shenyang city. Their appeal came while US President Donald Trump issued a direct and personal warning to North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un, saying continued nuclear provocation could result in the […]
Two Sudanese church leaders fined; trial of five others arrested for disturbing the peace await trial
Two Sudanese church leaders have been found guilty of criminal misappropriation and trespass, following a long-running dispute over church land and property. Rafat Samir, chairman of the Lands and Buildings Committee of the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church (SPEC), and Rev Daniel William, the deputy chairman, were each fined 5,000 Sudanese pounds (approximately $US750) by a court […]
China’s Christians face worst persecution in decades claims lawyer in new report
Prominent Chinese lawyer Gao Zhisheng – believed to be held in custody in China – says the country now faces its “harshest and most brutal political oppression since the end of Mao Zedong’s rule”. In a commentary released earlier this month, the lawyer – best known for his work in defending Christians, Falun Gong followers and […]
Christian Solidarity Worldwide calls for “immediate action” to stop “campaign” against Rohingyas in Myanmar
Christian Solidarity Worldwide have urged the United Nations to take immediate action to stop what it describes as the Myanmar military’s “campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya people”. In a statement to the UN Human Rights Council, the UK-based religious freedom and human rights organisation called for the introduction of “targeted measures” to put […]
Christian Solidarity Worldwide calls for action on crisis in Myanmar’s Rakhine state
Christian Solidarity Worldwide has called on the international community to take action with regard to the continuing humanitarian crisis in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. The escalating crisis has left thousands displaced from their homes amid reports hundreds of people have been killed and thousands of homes destroyed by the army of Myanmar, a nation formerly known […]
Christian Solidarity Worldwide “deeply concerned” over proposed anti-conversion law in Nepal
Religious freedom advocacy Christian Solidarity Worldwide has joined with human rights activists in Nepal calling for the amendment of proposed legislation which they say criminalises religious conversion and the “hurting of religious sentiment”. The Nepali Parliament passed a Bill on 8th August which the UK based organisation says, under clause 160, would restrict religious conversion. […]
Indonesia’s tradition of religious pluralism under “severe threat”, says report
Indonesia’s tradition of religious pluralism is under “severe threat” with religious minorities increasingly fearful of rising intolerance, according to a new report from religious freedom advocacy Christian Solidarity Worldwide. The report, which comes after CSW representatives visited the country in May, said the country’s “reputation as a role-model of a moderate, tolerant and democratic Muslim […]
Harsh sentences for Christians in Iran show fear of Christianity’s growth, says human rights expert
The rash of harsh sentences handed down to Christians in Iran in recent weeks shows the authorities’ fear at the growth of Christianity, according to a Christian human rights activist. World Watch Monitor quotes Mansour Borji, of Christian human-rights advocacy Article 18, saying that the recent sentences “could be interpreted as a sign that they want to […]