Articles by Jack Bethel
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Azerbaijan is guilty of “cultural genocide” for destroying Christian sites in the Nagorno-Karabakh region and falsely claiming that Armenian religious presence there never existed, according to a report by a legal advocacy group. -
Protestant sentenced to prison in occupied Ukraine; arrested priest disappears
A Ukrainian Protestant in her early 50s has received a seven-year jail term for remarks at a home prayer meeting in a Russian-occupied city, while a Ukrainian Orthodox Church priest has disappeared following his arrest, according to Forum 18. -
‘Terror attacks’ kill Russian Orthodox priest, others in Dagestan
Three days of mourning have begun in Russia’s predominantly Muslim Republic of Dagestan after a spate of terror attacks on Sunday (June 23) left a Russian Orthodox priest, three other civilians and at least 15 police officers dead, Russian officials said. -
‘Foreign agents law’ in Georgia takes aim at churches
The Georgia government has enacted a law that aims to persecute churches, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and independent media, according to a renowned law professor. -
Authorities in Russia tell archbishop to demolish church building
Russian authorities want an elderly archbishop to pay for the demolition of his own church building for “repeated crimes” after he criticized the invasion of Ukraine. -
Crackdown on Baptists in Kazakhstan sparks fears of tighter religion laws
A sharp escalation in police raids, arrests and fines in the past two months have traumatized Baptists in southern Kazakhstan, raising concerns about the future of religious liberty in the country. -
Tunisian Muslims charged with beating Christian in Italy
Three Muslims from Tunisia were detained this month in Italy for beating and robbing a Christian convert from Islam because he attended a church, according to a watchdog group. -
Russia’s crackdown on church leaders in Ukraine continues
Church leaders in Russian-occupied Ukraine continue to face crackdowns, with one arrested for “missionary activities” and two others deported to Georgia. -
Ukrainian priest could face prison for ‘espionage’
A Ukrainian priest abducted by Russian occupiers nearly a year ago could face 12 years in prison after a secret court trial for alleged espionage, contrary to international law. -
Pastor in Belarus jailed for calling for prayer to end war in Ukraine
Authorities in Belarus this month sentenced a pastor to 15 days in jail for calling for prayer to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine after arresting him on Feb. 22, sources said. -
Organized crime suspected in attempted poisoning of priest in Italy
Decades of hostility by organized crime toward the Catholic Church in Italy allegedly surfaced anew when a priest who had received death threats found bleach in wine he was about to serve for Holy Communion. -
Body of Ukrainian priest found after Russian forces detained him
The bruised body of a Ukrainian priest who was detained by Russian occupation forces turned up on a village street on Thursday (Feb. 15), with an unconfirmed report of a bullet wound to the head, according to watchdog group Forum 18.
