Christian Persecution Blog

Gunmen attacked a church in Eastern Burkina Faso on Sunday 1 December. The attack took place in the small town of Hantoukoura and left 14 Christians dead, with numerous others injured. This attack is reminiscent of the multiple attacks that took place earlier this year in Northern Burkina Faso, when churches, clergy and laypeople were […]

A Christian woman in the village of Dak Lak lost her home and land recently when villagers decided to expel her because of her Christian faith. Chau, 60, lived on several acres of prime farming land that had been handed down to her by her grandparents. Before becoming a Christian, she was a heavy drinker […]

Hu Shigen was taken into custody in July 2015 and was convicted of “subversion of state power” the following year. A photo of his baptismal ceremony was used as evidence against him, resulting in a sentence consisting of seven-and-a-half years. While in prison, Hu suffered a heart attack, as well as other health complications. Due […]

On 19 November Korean evangelist Jinwook Kim was stabbed on the streets in the south-eastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir. He later died in hospital from his injuries; he was 41 years old. The Public Security Branch Directorate of Murder Bureau has arrested a 16-year-old suspect and an investigation is ongoing. Kim had arrived in Diyarbakir […]

On 11 November at least two bombs were detonated in Qamishli; one outside a church. At least six civilians were killed and more than 20 wounded. Rev Hovsep Bedoyan (43), an Armenian Catholic priest in Qamishli, was driving his father and two church members to Deir ez-Zor where he was overseeing the reconstruction of a […]

In the deep of the night in Nanjing, Christians wailed as authorities demolished their church. The building hosted services for more than 1,000 Christians in the area. Some of them were inside the church when the authorities arrived, and the officials dragged them out. Government agents beat some of them and then blocked off the […]

Three self-exiled pastors have been sentenced to terms up to five years for leading the New Life Pentecostal Church in the city of Almaty. The sentences were announced on 1 November, when the court rejected their latest appeal. The founding pastor, Maxim Maximov, faces five years in prison, while his wife Larisa, and ministry colleague […]

In the Islamic Republic of Iran, although the official religion is Shiite Muslim, many people celebrate Christmas. Ethnic Armenian and Assyrian Christians, though closely monitored, are allowed to practise their own faith. In observing Christmas, they celebrate Jesus as the Son of God. Many Muslim people also celebrate Christmas. They enjoy Christmas trees and other […]

It was early in 1964 that a document was brought out of Russia. This document, signed by 120 Russian Christians, was dated February, 1964. It tells a sad story of what happened on Christmas Day in 1963 in the city of Barnaul in Russia, a holiday, celebrated in memory of the birthday of our Saviour […]

Dear Friends, As we prepare to celebrate this very important time in our Christian calendar, let us not forget or abandon those who don’t have the blessings and privileges we typically enjoy. A recent trip to Amman, Jordan, emphasised the plight of approximately 600,000 refugees from Iraq and Syria facing uncertainty and a fight for […]

In Christian communities in Pakistan, Christmas is a special time. In the local language, Christmas is known as Bada Din, meaning Big Day. Christians adorn their houses with fairy lights and decorations, including a star, a crib, a wreath and a Christmas tree. Santa hats and snowmen can also be seen. If they can afford […]

Attacks on farming villages in Nigeria’s north and central regions by semi-nomadic Muslim Fulani cattle herders have devastated the lives of tens of thousands of people, blighting the future for children like Mafeng Dauda. When Mafeng was nine years old, his mother was murdered in a Fulani attack on Bangai, his village in the Riyom […]