Christians Freed in Eritrea Prison Release, but Seven Church Leaders Remain Jailed After Two Decades

Christians Freed in Eritrea Prison Release, but Seven Church Leaders Remain Jailed After Two Decades

Open Doors said this week that Eritrean authorities freed a group of detainees believed to include Christians, along with business figures and political prisoners. However, the group confirmed that none of the seven long-imprisoned senior church leaders it has consistently advocated for were among those released.
  • Five Men Arrested in Germany Over Alleged Islamist Plot Targeting Christmas Market
    Authorities in Germany have detained five men accused of preparing an Islamist-inspired vehicle assault on a Christmas market in the country’s south, a plot officials say was intended to cause mass casualties. According to the BBC, the suspects — three Moroccan nationals, an Egyptian citizen, and a Syrian man — were taken into custody on Friday for allegedly conspiring to drive a car into a crowd at a Christmas market in the Dingolfing-Landau region of Bavaria.
  • As Britons Leave Christianity, Many Turn to Paganism and Spiritualism: Study
    A recent study suggests that a significant share of people in the United Kingdom who depart from Christianity are choosing  paganism or other forms of spiritualism rather than converting to any of the world’s major religions. According to the data, 44% of participants reported that they had left Christianity, compared to 17% who said they had recently become Christians. Another 39% said they had adopted atheism or agnosticism.

Christians Across India Unite in Delhi to Condemn Escalating Violence and Persecution

Around 2,000 Christians from across India gathered in New Delhi to protest what they describe as rising, sustained and systematic violence against their minority community. Representing more than 200 denominations, civil society organizations and legal advocacy groups, the participants assembled on Nov. 29 under the banner of the National Christian Convention, reaffirming their commitment to the Indian Constitution and calling for unity, justice and hope.
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  • UK Street Preacher Acquitted After Facing Charges Over Alleged Anti-Muslim Remarks

    A Christian street preacher in the United Kingdom who faced accusations of making anti-Muslim comments during a public sermon has been found not guilty. A jury at Swindon Crown Court in southwest England delivered the verdict after hearing of testimony and argument. Shaun O’Sullivan, 36, had been charged with religiously aggravated intentional harassment.

  • CofE Warns Hundreds of Historic Churches at Risk Without VAT Support

    The Church of England is pressing the Labour government to secure long-term funding for a major tax relief program, cautioning that hundreds of historic churches could deteriorate or close if the policy is allowed to lapse. The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme—created to reimburse churches, mosques, and synagogues for value-added tax (VAT) paid on building repairs—is scheduled to end in March 2026 unless renewed.

  • India’s Supreme Court Reviews Challenge to Rajasthan’s New Anti-Conversion Law

    India’s Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Rajasthan government regarding a new petition contesting the state’s controversial anti-conversion law, which permits authorities to confiscate property and demolish homes based solely on allegations of forced religious conversion. Earlier challenges this month focused on provisions allowing officials to carry out demolitions and seize property; however, the latest petition disputes the law’s definitions of “conversion,” “allurement,” “force,” “co

  • China Arrests 18 Zion Church Leaders in Widening Crackdown on House Churches

    Authorities in China have detained leaders of a prominent house church on charges of “illegally using information networks,” a move observers say is part of a broader effort by the Chinese Communist Party to suppress unregistered Christian communities. The arrests took place at Zion Church in Beihai, Guangxi Province, where Senior Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri was among the 18 church members taken into custody.

  • Violence Against Christians and Churches Surges Across Europe, Report Warns

    A new study released Monday by the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe (OIDAC Europe) finds that violent attacks, threats, and arson against Christians and churches rose sharply in 2024. According to the data, physical violence against Christians increased from 232 incidents in 2023 to 274 in 2024.

  • Dozens Killed as ISIS-Linked Militants Attack Hospital, Targeting Nursing Mothers and Newborns

    A brutal overnight attack on a Catholic-run maternity ward in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has left roughly 20 people dead, including breastfeeding mothers and their infants, according to local authorities. Officials have attributed the massacre to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Islamist-affiliated rebel faction linked to the Islamic State.

  • Armenian PM Addresses National Prayer Breakfast Amid Clergy Arrests

    Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who has faced growing criticism over his government’s treatment of senior clergy from the national church, addressed the country’s first national prayer breakfast on Saturday. Pashinyan recited Psalm 32:1 and reflected on the importance of the relationship between God and the state.

  • Christian Leaders Urge Trump to Address Persecution of Syrian Minorities

    More than 80 Christian leaders have signed a letter to former President Donald Trump, calling on him to confront the persecution of Christians, Druze, Kurds, and other minorities in Syria. "We urge you to address directly the massacre of Christians, Kurds, Druze, and Alawites in Syria, notably in the greater Suwayda area," said the Nov. 7 letter.
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