Edward Ross

Religious Freedom Correspondent

Articles by Edward Ross

6 May, 2025 10:25 EDT

Middle East Religious Freedom

Iran sends wife of re-arrested pastor into solitary confinement

By Edward Ross

Besides questioning and threatening friends of an Iranian-Armenian pastor re-arrested for practicing his faith, authorities in Iran have detained his wife and put her in solitary confinement, according to an advocacy group.
14 Apr, 2025 12:09 EDT

Africa Religious Freedom

Christians in area of Mauritania fear for their lives after protests against their presence

By Edward Ross

Authorities last week approved a demonstration by Muslims against the presence of Christians in a town of southern Mauritania that resulted in protesters exhuming the body of a Christian and dragging it through the streets, sources said.
1 Apr, 2025 19:50 EDT

Asia Religious Freedom

Christians among Afghan refugees deported by Pakistan, facing 'life-threatening dangers'

By Edward Ross

Christians are among hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees that Pakistan was to begin forcibly repatriating on Tuesday (April 1) to Afghanistan, where the ruling Taliban has asserted they will kill any Christian, sources said.
19 Mar, 2025 12:32 EDT

Middle East Religious Freedom

Christian prisoner in Iran beaten for requesting heart treatment

By Edward Ross

A prison officer in Iran beat an imprisoned Christian convert for requesting medical treatment for a heart condition, according to advocacy group Article 18.
11 Mar, 2025 12:36 EDT

Middle East Religious Freedom

Iran hands pregnant Christian woman, two others harsh prison sentences

By Edward Ross

Iran’s Revolutionary Court sentenced a pregnant Christian woman to 16 years in prison on Saturday (March 8) and also handed harsh punishments to two other converts from Islam, a rights group reported.
21 Feb, 2025 06:00 EST

Middle East Religious Freedom

Christian migrants among deportees from the U.S. to Islamist countries

By Edward Ross

Christian converts from Islam are among migrants from countries hostile to Christianity who have been deported from the United States – initially to Panama, where they are isolated before possible deportation to their home countries, according to The New York Times.
19 Feb, 2025 05:06 EST

Middle East Religious Freedom

Islamists in Egypt employ new tactics in forced conversion of Christian women

By Edward Ross

On June 1, an 18-year-old, middle-class Coptic Christian woman in Upper Egypt went to school as usual – but was then caught in a web of Islamist students, administrators, police and sheikhs seeking to forcibly convert her and marry her to a Muslim.
15 Feb, 2025 06:45 EST

Europe Religious Freedom

Evangelicals in Ukraine oppose ceding territory for peace, rights advocates say

By Edward Ross

Evangelicals in Ukraine do not favor a peace agreement that grants territory to Russia, as the Russian military already seeks to end the evangelical presence in the areas it controls, according to sources from Ukraine.
11 Feb, 2025 10:17 EST

Middle East Religious Freedom

Two ‘pardoned’ Christians in Iran sent back to prison

By Edward Ross

Two Christians who were released from prison in Iran in 2022 and 2023 respectively were re-arrested on Thursday (Feb. 6), advocacy group Article 18 reported.
5 Feb, 2025 13:50 EST

Middle East Religious Freedom

Vance shows administration support of religious liberty at IRF Summit

By Edward Ross

Vice President J.D. Vance and actor Rainn Wilson addressed the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday (Feb. 5), giving the gathering a high-profile boost in the cause of religious liberty.
4 Feb, 2025 16:48 EST

US & Canada Religious Freedom

U.S. administration challenged at International Religious Freedom Summit

By Edward Ross

Participants in what organizers called the largest ever religious freedom gathering voiced hope that the new U.S. administration and Congress would include their cause in broader policies as the International Religious Freedom Summit opened in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday (Feb. 4).
25 Jan, 2025 19:45 EST

Latin America Religious Freedom

Evangelicals increasingly targeted in Nicaragua, report says

By Edward Ross

The sharp increase in attacks on Christians in Nicaragua the past two years included increased targeting of evangelical churches, according to a report by a European advocacy group devoted to human rights.

Edward Ross

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