Edward Ross

Religious Freedom Correspondent

Articles by Edward Ross

11 days ago

Asia 11 days ago

Officials in China intensify ‘Sinicization’ of religion

By Edward Ross

Religious leaders in China were instructed to put President Xi Jinping and his doctrines at the center of their teaching and preaching at a recent high-level seminar of top faith representatives and bureaucrats.
30 days ago

Asia 30 days ago

Pastor, five other Christians arrested in Laos

By Edward Ross

Village officials in central Laos on Saturday (June 22) arrested a pastor and five other Christians as they prayed in preparation for worship services the next day, according to a rights watchdog.
1 month ago

Middle East 1 month ago

Attacks on Christians and properties in Israel surged in 2023

By Edward Ross

A heightened sense of impunity and nationalism contributed to a surge in attacks on Christians and church properties in Israel in 2023, according to a Jerusalem-based inter-religious organization report.
1 month ago

Middle East 1 month ago

Iran upholds 10-year prison term for Armenian Christian

By Edward Ross

A court in Iran upheld a 10-year prison sentence of an Armenian Christian for “deviant proselytizing” even though evidence against him was so weak that the judge decided the case on only his “intuition,” an advocacy group reported.
2 months ago

Africa Middle East 2 months ago

Christians in Egypt held without trial for more than two years

By Edward Ross

A Christian refugee in Egypt arrested for his faith and imprisoned alongside Islamist criminals has been denied medical care for heart and liver ailments despite complaining of chest pains as recently as April, sources said.
2 months ago

Africa 2 months ago

Growing jihadist insurgence in Mozambique puts Christians at risk

By Edward Ross

Jihadist insurgents in Mozambique are targeting Christians as they ramp up attacks in the country’s northern-most province, just as neighboring countries are planning to withdraw troops helping government forces to fight them.
2 months ago

Africa 2 months ago

Pastors imprisoned 20 years without trial in Eritrea, "the North Korea of Africa"

By Edward Ross

On May 23, 2004, authorities in Eritrea arrested Kiflu Gebremeskel, a church pastor who had earned his Ph.D. in mathematics in Chicago, along with another Eritrean pastor from his Full Gospel Church of Eritrea denomination, Haile Nayzgi.
3 months ago

Africa 3 months ago

Prison sentenced upheld for pastor in Algeria for baseless "illegal worship" charges

By Edward Ross

A court in Algeria last week upheld a one-year prison sentence for a top church leader baselessly convicted of “illegal worshipping,” according to a legal advocacy group.
3 months ago

Africa Middle East 3 months ago

Coptic Christians are attacked in two villages in Egypt

By Edward Ross

Three days after Coptic Christians in southern Minya Governorate were attacked over “rumors” of plans for a new church, Muslim extremists upset over a permit to construct a church building on Friday (April 26) attacked Copts in another village.
3 months ago

Oceania 3 months ago

Seven youths arrested after knifing of bishop in Australia

By Edward Ross

The 16-year-old boy who allegedly knifed Eastern Syriac Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel in Australia on April 15 was part of an extremist group of teenagers, and authorities arrested seven of them on Wednesday (April 24), news media reported.
3 months ago

Oceania 3 months ago

Bishop in Australia, others stabbed during worship

By Edward Ross

An Eastern Syriac bishop and at least three others were stabbed as he presided over a worship service in a suburb of Sydney, Australia that was being livestreamed on Monday evening (April 15).
4 months ago

Asia 4 months ago

Christians in China threatened after arrest for printing devotionals

By Edward Ross

Authorities in China issued threats of a long prison sentence and loss of property to Christians charged with “illegal business operations” for printing devotional materials intended only for their church, their attorney said.