20
March
Canadian Pastor Will Stay in Jail Until May Trial for Holding Church Services amid Pandemic
Albert government uses the courts to keep Pastor James Coates in prison for another 2 months over church meeting on Sundays. Slight overkill, so to speak???
20
March
Health professionals have lost jobs for their pro-life beliefs. The Equality Act will make it worse.
Increasingly individuals are being forced to violate their core personal beliefs. The most obvious place where this is becoming literally a life and death issue is in the medical community.
20
March
Complications arising from ‘DIY’ home abortions massively underreported, new data suggests
The rates of complication reported are far below the rates that were reported during the limited trials that were done. Here is an article highlighting the underreporting which is taking place.
20
March
Patients being offered euthanasia contrary to Fraser Health policy
We knew it wasn’t going to be long before prodeath advocates began to push the limits of the law in Canada around government sanctioned assisted suicide.
20
March
Kyrgyzstan modeling its new Constitution on Russia
A close watch needs to be kept to ensure that religious minorities are not subjected to the same persecution that they face from Moscow.
08
March
Biden Fires Attorney Who Defended Religious Liberty of Employees
Did President Biden at his inauguration really say,’ ‘The right to dissent peaceably, within the guardrails of our Republic, is perhaps our nation’s greatest strength.’ If so he needs to reconsider this decision.
07
March
Switzerland Voters support ban on face coverings in public
Switzerland votes to ban face coverings. What right does the government have to tell citizens what they can or cannot wear?
05
March
Global support calls for Iran to return ancestral lands to Bahá’ís
A global campaign is demanding Iran return ancestral lands which were illegally confiscated solely because of the landowners’ religious beliefs.
24
January
Violating Rights: Enforcing the World’s Blasphemy Laws
For more information on blasphemy laws around the world, please see USCIRF's recent comprehensive report.
24
January
China brings its cruel crackdown on Uighur advocates to the U.S.
I have had the privilege of meeting with Ziba Murat and Rushan Abbas to hear their agonizing story - of a elderly relative, a retired medical doctor being punished by the Chinese regime because they dare to speak up about the Uighur persecution.
24
January
Turkish Parliamentary approves extradition with China in its hunt for Uyghur refugees
China continues to expand its global reach to punish those who dare to speak out about the regime’s abuses.
24
January
USCIRF Condemns Harsh Sentence for Christian Bookseller in China
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemns the harsh and disproportionate sentence handed down to Chinese Christian bookseller Chen Yu.
24
January
Attacks on Christian churches at Christmas in Nigeria results in death and destruction
We need to keep reminding the world of the impact of hatred – Boko Haram continues its campaign of viciousness
06
January
The Torture in My Mind
The Right to Mental Health for Rohingya Survivors of Genocide in Myanmar and Bangladesh, addresses the unimaginable trauma faced by many in the Rohinga community.
06
January
A region in Sudan is allowing the construction of church buildings
The Governor of Sudan’s Gezira state, Abdalla Ali Ahmed Idriss, has authorized the construction of four church buildings and has granted land for the construction, in what is a unique historic development.
Bodnarius family
05
January
Court dismisses legal challenge against Norway's removal of children from Christian parents
A five year old battle over parental rights in Norway fails to come to a solid resolution.
31
December
Hindu temple demolished in Pakistan province
Another example of the failure of Pakistan to put in place the controls to limit extremism.
30
December
USCIRF Calls for Release of Ramy Kamel
Coptic activist Ramy Kamel was arrested in late 2019 by Egyptian authorities and has been held in pretrial detention since. This call for his release comes following news of his rapidly declining health.
Children ride on bicycles past a wall broken by Boko Haram who kidnapped students from their school (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
16
December
Islamic Terror Group Kidnaps Nigerian Students
In December over 300 Nigerian School children were abducted. Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the kidnapping. The students were freed a week later.
14
December
Boko Haram claims attack in Niger that killed dozens
Attacks by Boko Haram in northeastern spread to neighbouring countries such as Niger, Cameroon and Chad. Here is the account of a preChristmas attack in Niger
14
December
Christmas in China’s prison cells
Here is a tribute to so many in China who were paying a price this Christmas for their courage.
09
December
It's Time to Get Concerned About Russia
Russian persecution of religious minorities has continued to accelerate over the last year. While the evidence is abundant, the consequences have been minimal and Russia has only accelerated its persecution in recent years.
09
December
Detention of human rights defender Ramy Kamel
On 27 February 2020, the Criminal Court of Cairo rejected the appeal of human rights defender Ramy Kamel and renewed his detention for an additional 15 days. The human rights defender has been detained since 23 November 2019.
08
December
Extremist Group Arrests Villagers in Syria
Although the Yazidi community had suffered immense persecution at the hands of ISIS, their safety is not assured even as people return to the area in which the once lived as other groups move and continue persecution.
23
November
Washington can Help Free Turkey's Highest-Profile Prisoner of Conscience
Among advocates for Turkey's minorities, Osman Kavala is a secular saint. As a philanthropist, he has been the benefactor of initiatives to document and restore heritage sites, support arts and culture and fund intercommunal reconciliation projects.
