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        <title>Christian Daily International | Religious Freedom</title>
        <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/religious-freedom</link>
        <description><![CDATA[Follow global news on religious freedom, from Christian persecution to legal battles over faith and worship. Explore reports on human rights, church-state relations, and efforts to defend freedom of belief worldwide.]]></description>
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        <copyright>Christian Daily International © 2026</copyright>
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        <lastBuildDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 07:29:36 -0400</lastBuildDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Daughter of Christian jailed in Syria urges U.S. action]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/daughter-of-christian-jailed-in-syria-urges-us-action</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/daughter-of-christian-jailed-in-syria-urges-us-action</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Edward Ross]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Natalie Khalil at In Defense of Christians office before advocacy for her jailed father, Suleiman Khalil, on Sept. 15, 2026.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Screenshot from Facebook video ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Natalie Khalil at In Defense of Christians office before advocacy for her jailed father, Suleiman Khalil, on Sept. 15, 2026. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 15 Sep 2026 12:26:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The daughter of a Christian detained in Syria without charges since February 2025 on Tuesday (Sept. 15) called on the U.S. administration to use its influence to secure his release.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The daughter of a Christian detained in Syria without charges since February 2025 on Tuesday (Sept. 15) called on the U.S. administration to use its influence to secure his release.
As representatives of Christian advocacy groups prepared to meet with administration officials and congress members to urge action on behalf of Suleiman Khalil, a Syriac Orthodox Christian who as mayor of Sadad led the defense of the town against the Islamic State in 2015, his daughter, Natalie Khalil, called on President Donald Trump to help.
“President Trump, please use your influence to bring my father home,” Khalil said in a press statement. “He is a father to me and my siblings, but because of his sacrifice and leadership, he is also a father and hero to our entire Christian village, Sadad.”
The statement came as part of an effort on Capitol Hill by advocacy groups In Defense of Christians (IDC) and Christian Solidarity International (CSI) to urge Washington to defend religious freedom and protect Christians and other minorities in Syria.
The 52-year-old Khalil, who was allied with no political side amid Syria’s civil war, has not been charged with a crime, granted access to a lawyer or allowed regular visits from his family since the new Syrian government of Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former member of Al Qaeda, imprisoned him on Feb. 8, 2025.
“Suleiman Khalil’s continued detention is a test of whether Syria’s new government will guarantee constitutional rights equally to all of the country’s religious and ethnic communities, and whether Christians and other religious minorities can have confidence in their future in Syria,” Richard Ghazal, IDC’s executive director, said in a statement. “A man who risked his life to defend his town against ISIS should not languish in prison without charge. As the United States reengages with Syria, Congress and the administration must make religious freedom, equal citizenship, and the protection of vulnerable minorities central to U.S. policy.”
Congress removed sanctions against Syria last December, and in August the U.S. administration rescinded Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism without any evidence that its removal was merited, Ghazal told a briefing of advocates earlier on Tuesday.
While the Syrian Transitional Government of Al-Sharaa has distanced itself from attacks on Christians and other religious and ethnic minorities, the new government is directly or indirectly linked to the violence due to “this culture of impunity they’ve created, where Islamist groups can carry out these attacks, and the Syrian government is, ‘hear nothing see nothing,’” Ghazal told the advocates.
“So impunity, no accountability, is what allows these things to happen,” he said. “And it will continue that way until Western governments, in this case the U.S. government, has higher expectations and demands higher deliverables from them.”
Natalie Khalil told EWTN News on Monday (Sept. 14) that Syrian authorities prohibited the family from enlisting an attorney for her father and did not specify any charges against him.
“They came to our house and said, ‘He was wanted,’” she said.
Suleiman Khalil’s organizing defense of Sadad against the Islamic State assault in 2015 is credited with saving 9,000 lives.
Khalil received an early warning that the Islamic State militants were approaching Joel Veldkamp, CSI director for public advocacy, told EWTN News, adding that is appears the widely known Christians was being punished for those actions.
“For the new Syrian government, which has only been in power for about two years, to tell the United States that they’re joining their fight against terrorism, and then to put a man like this in prison, it sends a very confusing message to the U.S.,” he told EWTN. “It sends a terrible message to Christians in Syria who are really uncertain about their future under this new government.”
Natalie Khalil told the outlet that, during limited visits to her father, the Islamist government restricted expressions of their Christian identity, and that she was prohibited from giving him a Bible.
“We were asked to wear hijab to cover the head and hair. We were to cover the whole body,” she told EWTN. “My brother went wearing a necklace with a cross – they took it off his neck. We weren’t allowed to be Christians in that place.”
CSI, IDC and others sent an open letter in June to Ambassador Tom Barrack, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Syria and Iraq.
“Mr. Khalil’s actions in defending his town against ISIS should be celebrated by all Syrians, especially the new government, which has officially joined the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS,” the letter writers stated. “Instead, Syria’s government appears to be punishing him for it.”
Barrack has been a strong advocate for U.S. support for the new Syrian government, which came to power after the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad collapsed in December 2024.
“We respectfully ask you to intervene with the Syrian authorities to secure Mr. Khalil’s immediate release,” the letter writers stated. “By calling upon the Syrian government to immediately release Mr. Khalil – or, at a minimum, to provide him with access to legal counsel, necessary medical care, full and transparent notice of any charges against him, and the due process protections required by law – you would contribute powerfully to President Trump’s goal of protecting Christians in the Middle East, underline the United States’ and Syria’s shared commitment to fighting terrorism, and help ensure that the ‘new Syria’ will, indeed, be for all Syrians.”
The letter was signed by John Eibner for CSI, Ghazal for IDC, Brownback, Nadine Maenza of the Institute for Global Engagement, Charmaine Hedding of the Shai Fund, Robert Ozgun of the American Syriac Union, and Morhaf Ibrahim, president of the Alawite Association of the United States.
There has been no official response from Barrack to the letter, although his office immediately acknowledged receipt and affirmed U.S. commitment to the protection of Christians in Syria, Veldkamp told Christian Daily International.
CSI is campaigning for Khalil’s immediate release. Supporters can send a message on his behalf directly to the Syrian Foreign Ministry through the CSI website.
Syria was ranked No. 6 on Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List (WWL), a dramatic decline from its ranking the previous year at No. 18, largely due to a spike in violence.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Australian school principal resigns after refusing to host LGBTQ+ event]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/australian-school-principal-resigns-after-refusing-to-host-lgbtq-event</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/australian-school-principal-resigns-after-refusing-to-host-lgbtq-event</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Eyte]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Janelle Rowe resigned from her role as an Australian school principal.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Australian Christian Lobby ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Janelle Rowe resigned from her role as an Australian school principal. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2026 14:18:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[An Australian school principal resigned after education officials directed her to host “Wear It Purple Day” promoting gay and transgender ideology among primary school students as young as 4 years old.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
An Australian school principal resigned after education officials directed her to host “Wear It Purple Day” promoting gay and transgender ideology among primary school students as young as 4 years old.
Wear It Purple is an annual LGBTQIA+SB awareness event held across Australian schools, workplaces, and community groups, with the acronym standing for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual, with SB adding Sistergirl and Brotherboy to include gender-diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. 
Organizers state the event aims to build “safer and more inclusive environments.” The 2026 theme, “Colors of Courage,” celebrated Aug. 28, highlighted “bravery” required to drive change in institutions where conversations about LGBTQIA+SB topics rarely occur.
Janelle Rowe, former principal of Bonython Primary School in Canberra, served in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) public education system for 34 years. Rather than celebrating Wear It Purple Day, Rowe requested to swap the event for Bullying No Way Week, a national anti-bullying initiative covering all children regardless of the reason they experience bullying.
“I believe Wear It Purple Day is not a harmless dress-up day,” Rowe told The Daily Telegraph. “It requires teachers to explain what these lifestyles are about to children, and I don’t feel it’s the place of schools to be talking about sexualized issues with infants and primary students. At age 4 through to 12, these are still issues for parents and for families.”
Following her decision, the ACT Education Directorate summoned Rowe to its head office, presented her with a list of internal allegations, reported that staff members were ready to quit over her stance and placed her under direct supervision.
David Miklos, a writer for the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL), noted that one staff member privately admitted to Rowe, “I completely agree with you, but I would never say anything.”
Rowe submitted a three-page reply to the directorate after receiving what she described as a “pointed question” asking if she would wear purple and participate in the event. Choosing to stick to her convictions, she resigned.
Meeting with Rowe, Miklos expected to encounter a “hard-done-by, fire-breathing campaigner,” he recently wrote.
“Instead, I met a warm, measured, highly capable and articulate educator, wholly committed to her calling and the children at the heart of it,” Miklos wrote. “Janelle is a woman who had to leave the profession she was made for, who is shell-shocked and inwardly grieving at what her beloved vocation has become, and who is still, in every way that matters, a principal.”
Freedom of Information records from the directorate’s own files showed past performance reviews describing Rowe as “outstanding” and “highly capable,” with one supervisor writing, “the best leader I have ever worked with in my 40-year career.”
Miklos noted that Rowe never objected to the color purple itself. Instead, she objected to requiring teachers to explain sexual identity acronyms to children as young as 4 – a requirement she believed breached teacher codes of conduct and child-safe standards regarding age-inappropriate sexualized content.
“She was applying the policy she had been trained on,” Miklos wrote, pointing out that Wear It Purple organizers state participation should be voluntary for both students and staff. “It was not voluntary for Janelle.”
While the public school system failed to back Rowe, support arrived from unexpected quarters once her story went public. Miklos noted that supporters included “a lesbian mother of a 4-year-old, a gay man, and a woman who says plainly she is not a Christian.”
When officials told Rowe she was taking this stance only because she is a Christian, Miklos noted that while faith explained Rowe’s convictions, it did not explain the support coming from non-Christians.
Referencing Ephesians 6:13, where the Apostle Paul encourages Christians, “having done all, to stand,” Miklos wrote: “‘Stand’ is a defensive verb. Janelle was not trying to take ground; she declined to give any up.”
Miklos called for prayer for Rowe, for school staff who share her views privately to speak out publicly, and for Australian primary school children.
“Pray that common sense returns to those who set policy for our schools – that a child in kindergarten should not be introduced to adult questions of sexuality and gender by the state,” Miklos urged.
The Human Rights Law Alliance (HRLA) has officially taken up Rowe’s case.
“HRLA is standing with Janelle because freedom of conscience must include the freedom to respectfully question prevailing policies without fear of professional punishment,” the organization said in a statement.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Police in Algeria arrest 12 Christians during worship]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/police-in-algeria-arrest-12-christians-during-worship</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/police-in-algeria-arrest-12-christians-during-worship</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Star News]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Beach front in Oran, Algeria.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ L'Algérie Pays du Soleil et de Beauté, Creative Commons ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Beach front in Oran, Algeria. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2026 12:24:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Special force police in Algeria raided a worship service at a residential building on Sept. 4, arresting all 12 Christians present on suspicion of holding an unauthorized, non-Muslim religious service, sources said.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Special force police in Algeria raided a worship service at a humanitarian shelter on Sept. 4, arresting all 12 Christians present on suspicion of holding an unauthorized, non-Muslim religious service, sources said.
The House of Refuge shelter in L’Ayaida, 36 kilometers (22 miles) east of Oran, serves as a haven and restoration center for vulnerable women and their families. It housed a worship hall before authorities ordered its administrative closure in October 2019, but Christians have continued to meet for church services in one of the separate apartments on the shelter premises.
The premises have been under surveillance for some time, sources said.
After law enforcement officers raided the site with a search warrant, the 12 detained Christians were transferred to the Bethioua police station about 40 kilometers from Oran.
During the operation, police seized all Christian literature, mobile phones and identity cards of those present, said the sources, unidentified for security reasons. The women were released to be questioned the following morning, while the men were held until late at night, some until 3 a.m.
Christians fear the detainees could be charged under Ordinance 06-03 governing non-Muslim worship in Algeria, which heavily criminalizes collective worship outside the officially approved state framework or any action deemed to “shake the faith of a Muslim.” The restrictive law exposes them to heavy fines and substantial prison sentences. 
Punishment under the 2006 law can range from two to five years in prison and fines of 500,000 to 1 million Algerian dinars ($3,745 to $7,490). It requires non-Muslim worship buildings to be licensed, but all applications to do so have remained unattended.
The arrested Christians were not yet brought before a prosecutor, who would then quickly take them to court for judgment.
Christian support group Open Doors has reported that nearly all of the 47 official churches affiliated with the Protestant Church of Algeria (EPA) have received administrative closure orders or have been sealed by the authorities. More than 50 Christians have been prosecuted for their faith in recent years, according to the organization.
The Sept. 4 raid was part of a long-standing pattern of judicial harassment against Christians in Algeria, particularly in the Oran Region. In 2021, authorities convicted Pastor Rachid Seighir and Nouh Hamimi and closed their bookstore. Also notable were the harsh five-year prison sentence handed down to Hamid Soudad, imprisoned for January 2021 to July 23 as part of a five-year sentence for “insulting Islam” related to Facebook caricature, before he was ultimately pardoned in 2023.
EPA Vice-President Youcef Ourahmane was sentenced on appeal in May 2024 to one year in prison simply for organizing a spiritual retreat; originally he had been sentenced to two years and a fine. Pastor Ourahmane is the founder of the Timothee School and the L’Ayeida refuge center.
These cases and significant events all attest to the persistence of a policy aimed at criminalizing the Christian faith and its structures within the country.
According to Christians in the Béjaïa, Tizi Ouzou, and Bouira regions, authorities in the past month have been seeking to permanently resolve the “church issue” in Algeria. To this end, special envoys were appointed and sent across the country to meet with various leaders who were not affiliated with the EPA. Their mission was to identify and approach congregants, urging them to join a new Christian association project intended to replace the EPA.
This maneuver aims to orchestrate a reorganization under strict state control, paving the way for the potential reopening of places of worship subject to conditions rigorously imposed by the government.
The number of Christians in Algeria is estimated at about 150,000 people, 0.3 percent of the total population of 48 million, according to Open Doors. There are 8,000 Catholics, while Methodists, Anglicans and Mennonites are made up mostly of foreigners, including diplomats.
Algeria ranked 20th on Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[President Mahama warns Ghanaians not to take religious freedom for granted after pastor-imam dispute]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/president-mahama-warns-ghanaians-not-to-take-religious-freedom-for-granted-after-pastor-imam-dispute</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/president-mahama-warns-ghanaians-not-to-take-religious-freedom-for-granted-after-pastor-imam-dispute</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Vincent Matinde]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Ghana President Mahama]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Facebook ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Speaking at the 32nd Biennial General Council Meeting of the Assemblies of God, Ghana, at the Pentecost Convention Centre in Gomoa Fetteh in the Central Region, on Aug. 20, President Mahama said the events were a reminder that Ghana’s tradition of religious tolerance required protection. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 14:51:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[President John Dramani Mahama has warned Ghanaians not to take the country’s tradition of religious freedom and peaceful coexistence for granted after a dispute involving a Christian pastor and a Muslim imam escalated from inflammatory comments to arrests and an assault in police custody.]]></description>
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President John Dramani Mahama has warned Ghanaians not to take the country’s tradition of religious freedom and peaceful coexistence for granted after a dispute involving a Christian pastor and a Muslim imam escalated from inflammatory comments to arrests and an assault in police custody.
In his first public comments on the controversy, Mahama told pastors, imams and other religious leaders to exercise restraint in their public statements and on social media.
Speaking at the 32nd Biennial General Council Meeting of the Assemblies of God, Ghana, at the Pentecost Convention Centre in Gomoa Fetteh in the Central Region, on Aug. 20, Mahama said the events were a reminder that Ghana’s tradition of religious tolerance required protection.
“For generations, Christians, Muslims, and people of other faiths have lived together peacefully in Ghana,” Mahama said. 
He noted that members of different faiths share families, schools, workplaces, security services and public institutions. He described that peaceful coexistence as one of Ghana’s greatest national assets.
The president’s remarks followed the arrest of two religious figures over separate videos involving comments about Muhammad, the prophet of Islam.
Police said Masud Abdullah, a 35-year-old imam, was arrested over remarks allegedly made during a sermon at a mosque in Ntensere in the Atwima Nwabiagya North District of the Ashanti Region. Police said he was alleged to have made comments urging violence against people who spoke ill of Muhammad.
In a separate case, police arrested Christian cleric Daniel Junior Yaw Adjei, popularly known as Apostle Daniel Adjei, over a video containing what police described as derogatory and offensive comments about Muhammad.
The arrests came as videos of the religious comments circulated online, bringing the dispute beyond the communities where the remarks were made.
The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu, condemned the imam’s alleged inciting comments after they came to his attention. Police said both cases were being investigated and that the suspects would be processed according to law.
The dispute took a more serious turn after video footage emerged showing the Christian cleric, in handcuffs, being slapped while in police custody.
Ghana’s Interior Ministry condemned the assault and said the fact that civilians had gained access to a person being held by the state was a serious concern. The ministry directed the Inspector-General of Police to investigate how the breach of custody occurred, identify civilians involved in the assault and investigate the conduct of officers responsible for the detainee’s custody and supervision.
The ministry also condemned both religious incitement and violence against people because of their faith.
“No allegation of breach of law, however serious, gives any person the right to assault a suspect in police custody,” the ministry said, adding that a person arrested by the state remains entitled to the protection of the law.
The Christian Council of Ghana similarly condemned the assault but also condemned the alleged attack on Islam and the alleged call for violence by the Muslim cleric.
The council said the sequence of events had created a volatile situation involving sections of the Christian and Muslim communities. It called for restraint and warned against escalation.
The National Peace Council also intervened, urging the public to distinguish between the separate incidents rather than treating them as one matter.
Christian-Muslim tolerance
The council said the religious dimension was “extremely sensitive” and called on religious leaders, politicians, civil society groups and media practitioners to avoid inflammatory commentary and premature conclusions. It said accountability, fairness and respect for human dignity were necessary to maintain public confidence and Ghana’s tradition of peaceful coexistence.
Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak met Christian and Muslim leaders in Accra on Aug. 17 following the controversy. He described Christian-Muslim tolerance as a foundation of Ghana’s peace and security and commended religious leaders and police officials for intervening in the dispute.
The National Peace Council later said the Interior Ministry had also engaged the Christian Council of Ghana, the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference and other Christian groups as part of efforts to prevent religious concerns from developing into wider tensions. The ministry had previously engaged Muslim leaders.
Against that backdrop, Mahama said freedom of religion and freedom of expression, both guaranteed by Ghana’s Constitution, did not give anyone the right to insult another person’s faith, incite violence or take the law into their own hands.
“Religious conviction must never become religious provocation,” he said.
He also warned that statements made from church pulpits, in mosques or online could spread rapidly and inflame passions beyond what the speaker intended.
The president called for the law to be applied fairly and impartially and rejected mob action, retaliation and violence. He also urged Christian organizations to continue working with Muslim leaders, traditional authorities and the National Peace Council to strengthen interfaith dialogue, particularly among young people.
Mahama said the recent events should not be allowed to define relations between Christians and people of other faiths in Ghana. 
“No one honors God by insulting another person’s faith,” he said. “No one defends the Almighty God by troubling or attacking another human being.”
He urged religious leaders to demonstrate restraint in disagreements and said Ghana’s religious diversity should be treated as a source of strength when grounded in mutual respect.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Violence and displacement erode Christian presence in northern Nigeria, report says]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/violence-and-displacement-erode-christian-presence-in-northern-nigeria-report-says</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/violence-and-displacement-erode-christian-presence-in-northern-nigeria-report-says</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jim Olang]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Nigeria displacement]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Open Doors ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ The violence has contributed to one of Africa’s largest internal displacement crises. UNHCR data, updated Aug. 1, record 3,711,314 internally displaced people in Nigeria. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 06:10:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Rising killings and abductions, prolonged displacement and continuing insecurity are eroding the Christian presence in parts of northern and north-central Nigeria, according to a research brief released by Open Doors on Thursday (Sept. 3).]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Rising killings and abductions, prolonged displacement and continuing insecurity are eroding the Christian presence in parts of northern and north-central Nigeria, according to a research brief released by Open Doors on Thursday (Sept. 3).
The report, “Nigeria at the Crossroads - Is There a Future for Nigeria’s Displaced Church?” outlines two possible futures for the country. Violence and impunity could deepen displacement, or stronger government action backed by sustained international engagement could create conditions for displaced communities to return home.
While Christian communities continue to be severely affected by the violence, attacks are also increasingly affecting Muslims. The brief describes conflicts shaped by religious, ethnic, economic and environmental factors and involving Fulani militant groups, Islamic extremist rebel group Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Much of its analysis draws on data collected by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa. ORFA’s six-year study combines information gathered by researchers and local partners with data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project.
Civilian killings rose sharply during the final three months of 2025. The brief records 1,735 civilian deaths between October and December, compared with 1,148 during the same period in 2024, an increase of 51 percent.
The increase in abductions was even greater. Some 3,415 civilians were abducted between October and December 2025, up from 1,352 during the corresponding period in 2024. This amounted to a 153 percent increase.
The figures do not establish that religious identity was the sole reason for every attack. The motives of armed groups are often mixed, and the religious identity of some victims could not be confirmed.
Christians accounted for a substantially higher number of those killed than Muslims during much of the period examined. Muslim deaths, however, increased between October 2023 and December 2025. Regarding abductions, since the 2024 fiscal year more Muslims than Christians have been kidnapped, according to the report.
The changing pattern partly reflects the expansion of armed groups identified in the research as Fulani militants into areas inhabited by Christian farming communities and by predominantly Muslim ethnic groups, including Hausa communities in northwestern Nigeria.
Between October 2019 and September 2025, the research attributed 18,577 civilian deaths to Fulani militant groups. Of these victims, 12,160 were identified as Christians and 3,368 as Muslims. Boko Haram and ISWAP were linked to 4,941 civilian deaths during the same period.
The researchers distinguish the militants from the wider Fulani community, most of whom are not involved in the violence. They also identify land disputes, competition over natural resources, environmental pressures, livestock routes and criminal activity as factors intersecting with religious and ethnic tensions.
The violence has contributed to one of Africa’s largest internal displacement crises. UNHCR data, updated Aug. 1, record 3,711,314 internally displaced people in Nigeria.
Many displaced families live in poorly resourced camps or with host communities already under economic strain. Repeated attacks and the occupation of abandoned land have made it particularly difficult for displaced residents of Plateau, Benue and southern Kaduna states to return.
The movement of people is also changing the geographical distribution of Christians. Rural Christian communities have declined in parts of Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Benue, Plateau, southern Kaduna and Nasarawa states as displaced families move to Maiduguri, Yola, Jos, Makurdi, Abuja and other cities.
Urban churches have received displaced congregations, placing additional pressure on their finances, facilities and pastoral ministries. Many of the displaced families previously depended on farming and have no access to their land or an alternative source of income.
The full extent of damage to church buildings cannot be verified because Nigeria has no central database documenting how many have been destroyed or abandoned. Available evidence nevertheless shows widespread disruption of rural congregations in northern Nigeria.
Abductions and ransom payments
The abduction of pastors and other church leaders has placed another financial burden on churches and families, which are frequently pressured to raise ransom payments. Congregations are also left without leaders when pastors are abducted, displaced or killed.
Women-led households are among those facing the greatest hardship. Many women lost access to their farms and livelihoods after their husbands were killed, abducted or forced to flee. Church and humanitarian programmes have responded with vocational training, small-business assistance, trauma care and informal education.
Badoo, a displaced mother of six featured in the brief, received vocational training and sewing equipment through an Open Doors-supported program in Benue state. She subsequently established a business, moved her family out of an internally displaced persons camp and returned her children to school.
The brief acknowledges several steps taken by the Nigerian government. President Bola Tinubu declared a nationwide security emergency in November 2025, ordering additional recruitment of armed forces and police. He also directed that police officers assigned to protect prominent individuals be redeployed to areas facing insecurity.
Authorities have made arrests and secured convictions in several terrorism cases. The brief describes these measures as limited in relation to the scale of the violence and says it remains unclear whether they mark the beginning of sustained accountability.
Nigeria also strengthened its legal framework for protecting displaced people by incorporating the African Union’s Kampala Convention into national law. UNHCR welcomed the legislation in March, saying it provided a stronger basis for preventing displacement, protecting affected communities and pursuing lasting solutions.
Other initiatives include a resettlement partnership in Plateau state and efforts to document displaced communities and address the occupation of their land. These programs remain small compared with the number of people requiring protection and assistance.
Open Doors called on the Nigerian government to strengthen security in affected communities, disarm violent groups, investigate attacks and prosecute those responsible. It also urged the government and international partners to increase humanitarian support, involve local faith leaders in coordinating assistance and establish conditions for displaced people to return voluntarily and safely.
The organization appealed to churches in Nigeria and abroad to support affected communities through prayer, humanitarian assistance, trauma care and advocacy.
Open Doors reiterated the appeal of a displaced Christian interviewed for an earlier study: “The global church needs to know that many people are displaced. The global church needs to pray for the people to be able to return.”]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Religious freedom restricted as publication ban is upheld in Pakistan]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/religious-freedom-restricted-as-publication-ban-is-upheld-in-pakistan</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/religious-freedom-restricted-as-publication-ban-is-upheld-in-pakistan</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/52/5268.png">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Federal Constitutional Court in Islamabad, Pakistan.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Screenshot, Express News video ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Federal Constitutional Court in Islamabad, Pakistan. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 14:14:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Tuesday (Sept. 8) ruled that the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom is subject to law, public policy and morality.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Tuesday (Sept. 8) ruled that the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom is subject to law, public policy and morality.
In a ruling with consequences for Christians and other religious minorities, the FCC upheld a provincial government’s ban on a 23-volume publication of the minority Ahmadiyya community.
A division bench headed by Justice Aamer Farooq and comprising Justice Syed Arshad Hussain Shah dismissed petitions by the Ahmadiyya community challenging the Punjab provincial government’s ban, rejecting the petitioners’ claim that it violated their right to religious freedom under Article 20 of the Constitution.
The 14-page judgment, authored by Farooq, concerned the Ahmadiyya community’s “Rohani Khazayeen,” Volumes 1 to 23, which were banned and ordered forfeited under a June 25, 2014, notification issued by the Punjab Home Department under Section 99-A of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
The Ahmadiyya petitioners had challenged Lahore High Court and Multan bench decisions dismissing their cases on grounds that included considerable delay and failure to use available legal remedies within the prescribed limitation period. They argued that the executive action banning the publications infringed their constitutional right to religious freedom.
The FCC ruled, however, that determining whether Article 20 had been violated required careful examination of the validity, strength and reasoning underlying the bans and forfeiture under the CrPC and relevant ordinance.
The court said it could not proceed on assumptions because the petitioners had failed to bring the actual material before the court through the appropriate legal remedies. It also criticized the petitioners’ counsel for making broad arguments about fundamental rights and religious freedom instead of showing the court the content of the publications and explaining their alleged impact.
The judgment described the claim that the executive had violated the petitioners’ religious freedom as “an afterthought,” saying the argument amounted to a general discourse on fundamental rights and Article 20.
The FCC further rejected the characterization of the ban as an exercise of unfettered executive power. It said the proper approach was to identify the precise legal source of the authority behind the challenged action and then assess its conformity with fundamental rights.
The court distinguished between actions taken through “bare executive discretion” and those undertaken pursuant to statutory authorization, holding that the action in this case fell within the latter category. It said the authority for the forfeiture was traceable to statutory provisions in the CrPC and the Press, Newspapers, News Agencies and Books Registration Ordinance, 2002.
The court also linked religious freedom to Article 4 of the Constitution, which guarantees that every individual be dealt with in accordance with law and receive equal protection of the law. Article 4, the judgment said, provides a foundational guarantee underpinning the broader constitutional scheme of fundamental rights, including freedom of religion.
The FCC noted that the petitioners had not challenged the government’s notifications under Section 99-B of the CrPC and Section 20 of the ordinance within the prescribed limitation period. Instead, they filed petitions under Article 199 of the Constitution after considerable delay. The court found no plausible justification for the delay, noting that the petitioners had failed to provide any cogent explanation for not approaching the high court earlier.
The record also showed that an Ulema (scholars) board had examined the publications and concluded that their contents could cause hatred among Muslims, recommending their forfeiture.
The court ruled that, given the procedural failures and absence of the relevant material, it was unable to determine the constitutional question in the manner sought by the petitioners.
“We can safely conclude that there was no violation of fundamental rights of the petitioners in the facts and circumstances,” the judgment stated.
The FCC then dismissed the petitions, refused leave to appeal and disposed of all pending applications.
The ruling comes a day after six U.N. special rapporteurs expressed concern over continuing reports of discrimination, violence, and legal restrictions targeting members of the Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan.
“We are deeply concerned by persistent reports that members of the Ahmadiyya community continue to face harassment, criminal prosecution, violence, and exclusion because of their religious identity,” the experts stated in a Sept. 7 press release. “Every individual has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief. No one should be subjected to discrimination, intimidation, or violence, nor should they be prevented from peacefully manifesting their faith, or face discrimination with respect to any of their human rights.”
The experts noted with concern reports of ongoing attacks on Ahmadiyya places of worship; desecration of graves; interference with peaceful religious observance, including in the context of the Islamic celebrations of Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha; arrests and prosecutions related to religious practices or identity; and hate speech. These reports underscore the need for effective measures to prevent violence, ensure accountability, and protect vulnerable communities, they stated.
“The State has a responsibility to exercise due diligence to prevent human rights violations, investigate allegations promptly and impartially, prosecute those responsible in accordance with international standards, and provide effective remedies to victims,” the experts said.
Pakistan must break the pattern of impunity that has allowed perpetrators of attacks and incitement to hatred and violence to act without restraint, they stated.
“These attacks take place with tacit official complicity whilst the cycle of fear prevents people and institutions from upholding the rights and dignity of these minority groups,” they said, calling on the Pakistani government to ensure that all individuals, regardless of their religion or belief, enjoy equal protection under the law without discrimination.
The experts also urged the government to review legislation and administrative measures that may be inconsistent with its obligations under international human rights law, including the rights to freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression, freedom of association and assembly, cultural rights, and equality before the law.
“Combating religious intolerance requires more than responding to individual incidents,” they said. “It requires sustained efforts to foster respect for diversity, counter incitement to hatred and violence, and create an environment in which all religious or belief communities can live in safety and dignity.”]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Russia designates Christian ministries ‘undesirable’]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/russia-designates-christian-ministries-undesirable</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/russia-designates-christian-ministries-undesirable</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jack Bethel]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/52/5266.jpg">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Mission Eurasia President Sergey Rakhuba.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Mission Eurasia ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Mission Eurasia President Sergey Rakhuba. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 12:39:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Russia’s General Prosecutor’s Office has ruled that foreign organizations, including Christian ministries, threaten the security of the country, according to rights group Forum 18.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Russia’s General Prosecutor’s Office has ruled that foreign organizations, including Christian ministries, threaten the security of the country, according to rights group Forum 18. 
Following the ruling, the Justice Ministry added U.S.-based Mission Eurasia to its official register of “undesirable organizations.” Under Russian law, citizens and entities who cooperate with blacklisted organizations risk administrative fines and potential criminal prosecution.
The consequences have already reached local Christian institutions. In July, a court found Pyotr Mitskevich, president of the Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists and rector of Moscow Theological Seminary, guilty under Article 20.33 after prosecutors inspected the seminary library and discovered books published by Mission Eurasia. 
The literature included Christian leadership and ministry resources from the ministry's School Without Walls program. The court fined Mitskevich 20,000 rubles ($234).
In another case, authorities fined a local Baptist pastor after finding 178 copies of the New Testament and 74 Gospel of John booklets published by Mission Eurasia inside his church. A Moscow Region court ordered officials to destroy the confiscated Scripture.
Mission Eurasia President Sergey Rakhuba, a native of eastern Ukraine’s Donbas Region, said the Russian government provided no advance warning or explanation for blacklisting the ministry.
“We received no warning, no heads-up, no request for clarification – nothing,” Rakhuba said. “So, I don’t want to speculate about their exact motivation. But I think we have to look at this in the much larger context of what has been happening in Russia for a number of years.”
Rakhuba emphasized that Mission Eurasia is not a political organization. Having lived in Russia for many years before moving to the United States, Rakhuba noted the mission’s 35-year history in the region, established during the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Over three decades, the organization trained thousands of young leaders, distributed Bibles and literature, planted churches, and supported humanitarian work.
“I know Russia very well. We have deep, lifelong relationships throughout the evangelical community there,” Rakhuba said. “We have never gone to Russia to organize political opposition. That has never been our mission.”
Instead, the mission focused on equipping national Christian leaders to serve their own communities while helping the global church to understand the needs of evangelicals across Eurasia. Rakhuba noted the Russian government increasingly views independent organizations with international ties, especially those outside state control, with deep suspicion.
“Mission Eurasia is an American-based organization with deep historic relationships with evangelical Christians throughout the former Soviet Union, including both Russia and Ukraine,” Rakhuba said. “Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we have also spoken openly about the enormous suffering we see there.”
Through its Religious Freedom Initiative, Mission Eurasia has documented human rights abuses in Russia and Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. Independent reports have detailed abduction and torture of religious leaders, confiscation of property, restrictions on religious minorities, and preferential treatment given to the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in occupied areas.
Rakhuba said the “undesirable” label fits a broader pattern of state control over civil society and independent religious activity. He cited a “sad historical irony” in remembering a warning by mission founder Peter Deyneka Jr., who noted in 1991 that while God had opened an extraordinary window of opportunity for the gospel in Russia, that window would eventually close.
“For more than three decades we worked while that window was open,” Rakhuba said. “Today, unfortunately, we are watching it close.”
Rakhuba expressed that his greatest concern centers on ordinary Russian evangelicals who may face penalties simply for possessing materials linked to Mission Eurasia.
“For more than 35 years, since the collapse of the USSR, we have published millions of copies of Scripture, Christian books and training materials,” Rakhuba said. “Some of those materials have been sitting peacefully on church and seminary bookshelves for many years. And now, against all possible logic, those books can suddenly become dangerous.”
During the Soviet era, authorities treated the Bible as a dangerous book and branded U.S.-printed Christian literature as a Western ideological weapon.
“Now Russia presents itself as a defender of traditional Christian values – and yet once again, evangelical Christians can face trouble because they have Bibles and Christian books connected to a foreign Christian ministry,” Rakhuba said.
The risk of prosecution creates widespread anxiety among some pastors across Russia.
“Think about the message that sends to an ordinary pastor somewhere in Russia,” Rakhuba said. “If the president of the Baptist Union can be taken to court because Mission Eurasia books are sitting in a seminary library, an ordinary pastor naturally begins asking, ‘What can they do to me?’ That creates fear. And I believe fear and intimidation are among the most damaging effects of these actions.”
Soviet Patterns
Rakhuba described the emotional toll of seeing Russian courts order the destruction of New Testaments.
“For someone who grew up in the Soviet Union, it is difficult to describe what it feels like to hear in 2026 that a Russian court has ordered copies of the New Testament destroyed because of the Christian organization that published them,” Rakhuba said. “We can replace books. We can change methods. Mission Eurasia can adapt to this situation. But I do not want a pastor, a young Christian leader or a church family in Russia to suffer simply because they received a Bible with Mission Eurasia’s imprint on the back page.”
Mission Eurasia is altering its operating methods to protect local Christians. The organization can no longer legally operate offices in Russia, and historic partnerships, resource sharing, and financial support must now adapt to avoid endangering Russian evangelicals.
Rakhuba stressed that this legal pressure built up over years rather than happening overnight. In 2016, Russia passed anti-terrorism legislation known as the Yarovaya law, which severely restricted missionary work and public evangelism. Subsequent “foreign agent” laws forced church leaders to reconsider whether accepting foreign training or financial aid carried too much risk.
“For evangelical Christians, this is especially painful because Christianity by its very nature is broader and global,” Rakhuba said. “The church does not stop at national borders.”
He noted that after the fall of the Soviet Union, Mission Eurasia purposefully focused on empowering local, indigenous Russian leaders rather than sending U.S. missionaries to run programs. Yet, Russian authorities now treat even these local-led international partnerships with suspicion.
Looking ahead, Mission Eurasia will alter its strategy inside Russia to protect local Christians while continuing to seek responsible ways to support Russian evangelicals. In contrast to its restricted work in Russia, Mission Eurasia has expanded its operations in Ukraine, providing trauma care, food, and ministry support to affected families and children.
“Governments can close an organization’s office. They can prohibit a foreign organization. They can confiscate books. They can block financial channels,” Rakhuba said. “But it is much harder to stop the gospel when it is already in the hearts and hands of thousands of local believers.”
Reflecting on his childhood in the USSR, Rakhuba noted that while modern Russia is not identical to the Soviet Union, the patterns of surveillance, restrictions on literature, and suspicion toward Christians feel painfully familiar.
“So, if the Russian government completely closes the door to Mission Eurasia as a foreign organization, we will recognize that reality and we will not recklessly endanger believers inside Russia,” Rakhuba said. “Governments can blacklist organizations...But they cannot blacklist the gospel, and they cannot stop what God is doing in the hearts of His people.”]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[More than 30 Christians slain in Plateau state, Nigeria]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/more-than-30-christians-slain-in-plateau-state-nigeria</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/more-than-30-christians-slain-in-plateau-state-nigeria</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Christian Daily International / Morning Star News]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/52/5259.png">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Plateau state Gov. Caleb Mutfwang.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Screenshot from Arise News interview on YouTube ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Plateau state Gov. Caleb Mutfwang. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 14:12:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Suspected Fulani herdsmen killed more than 30 Christians in one area of Plateau state, Nigeria in the past month, sources said.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Suspected Fulani herdsmen killed more than 30 Christians in one area of Plateau state, Nigeria in the past month, sources said.
The latest attack in Mangu County took place on Saturday (Sept. 5), where three Christians were killed in two villages, said area resident Leo Lawrence.
“A Christian was killed in Fungtim community, while two other Christians were killed in Kinat community,” Lawrence told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “In total, three Christians were killed by suspected Fulani terrorists in these attacks.”
On Thursday (Sept. 3), two Christians were slain in predominantly Christian Kinat and Kop-Naanle villages, said area community leader Tubwot Sunday.
“Two Christians were killed in separate attacks by Fulani militants on two Christian villages,” Sunday said. “Mr. Bulus Danladi, 78, was killed in Kop-Naanle village, while Mr. Kwopnaan Lot Yunana, 33, was killed in Kinat village.”
On Aug. 18 in the predominantly Christian village of Bin-Per, Fulani herdsmen killed 25 Christian in an attack at about 3 a.m., area resident Nelson Dogara said in a text message to Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.
“Bin-per village is bleeding as Muslim Fulani herdsmen have killed 25 Christians in an overnight attack,” Dogara said.
Jeremiah Dakahap, spokesman for the Mangu Local Government Council, confirmed the killings.
“We are still grieving the tragic killing of 25 Christians in Bin-Per village in Mangu Local Government Area,” Dakahap said. “The chairman of Mangu Local Government Council, Emmanuel Bala Mwolpun, is saddened with the killing of 25 Christians by Fulani in early hours of Tuesday, Aug. 18.”
Resident Daniel Musa confirmed that 25 Christians were killed, that several others sustained serious injuries and houses were burned down and crops destroyed. 
“Most of the victims were women and children,” Musa said. “The dead were buried the same day in a single grave, while the injured victims were taken to public health facilities for medical care in the city of Jos.”
On Aug. 18 in Sabon Layi, Mangu County, soldiers drafted to the area shot and killed a Christian who along with other Christians was protesting the killings in the area, said community leader Jonathan Yusuf.
On Aug. 15, Jwak and Murish villages were attacked, and on Aug. 9 a Christian was slain in in Jakatai community. Yusuf said Fwangshak Dawuk was killed by soldiers while he and other Christians were guarding their village against herdsmen.
“We mourn Fwangshak with profound grief, but we also use this solemn occasion to renew our call for justice, accountability and immediate government action,” Yusuf told mourners at the funeral for Dawuk. “The circumstances surrounding the death of Fwangshak Dawuk, particularly reports alleging that he was a militia, are completely false. Fwangshak was killed while performing his community vigilance responsibilities.”
Yusuf said the community demanded a transparent, independent and impartial investigation into the circumstances of his death.
“The military exists to protect citizens, and whenever allegations arise concerning the unlawful killing of a civilian, the public deserves to know the truth,” Yusuf said.
He said that Fulanis on Aug. 12 killed 20-year-old Moses Emmanuel Panse in Murish village, Bwai District.
“His death further deepened the grief among our people,” he said. “Similarly, in Jwak Maitumbi, Mangu District, 38 houses were burned down on the same day, while farmlands were invaded and crops destroyed. These acts of destruction represent not only the loss of homes and property, but also a direct threat to the livelihoods and food security of affected families.”
These incidents cannot be treated as isolated events or be reduced to competing narratives, he added.
“We cannot continue to bury our community members while perpetrators remain unidentified, unarrested and unprosecuted,” Yusuf said, demanding immediate investigation of the killings and destruction of property.
Alfred Alabo, spokesperson for state police command, said some assailants in the Mangu area have been arrested. Plateau Gov. Caleb Mutfwang visited some of the affected villages, describing the attacks as barbaric and unacceptable.
“We will do everything within our powers to ensure that you remain on your land. Nobody will take over your land,” Mutfwang said.
More Christians were killed in Nigeria than in any other country from Oct. 1, 2024 to Sept. 30, 2025, according to Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List. Of the 4,849 Christians killed worldwide for their faith during that period, 3,490 – 72 percent – were Nigerians, an increase from 3,100 the prior year. Nigeria ranked No. 7 on the WWL list of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.
Numbering in the millions across Nigeria and the Sahel, predominantly Muslim Fulani comprise hundreds of clans of many different lineages who do not hold extremist views, but some Fulani do adhere to radical Islamist ideology, the United Kingdom’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief (APPG) noted in a 2020 report.
“They adopt a comparable strategy to Boko Haram and ISWAP and demonstrate a clear intent to target Christians and potent symbols of Christian identity,” the APPG report states.
Christian leaders in Nigeria have said they believe herdsmen attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt are inspired by their desire to forcefully take over Christians’ lands and impose Islam as desertification has made it difficult for them to sustain their herds.
In the country’s North-Central zone, where Christians are more common than they are in the North-East and North-West, Islamic extremist Fulani militia attack farming communities, killing many hundreds, Christians above all, according to the report. Jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and the splinter group Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), among others, are also active in the country’s northern states, where federal government control is scant and Christians and their communities continue to be the targets of raids, sexual violence, and roadblock killings, according to the report. Abductions for ransom have increased considerably in recent years.
The violence has spread to southern states, and a new jihadist terror group, Lakurawa, has emerged in the northwest, armed with advanced weaponry and a radical Islamist agenda, the WWL noted. Lakurawa is affiliated with the expansionist Al-Qaeda insurgency Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, or JNIM, originating in Mali.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Muslim shoots Christian woman to death in Pakistan]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/muslim-shoots-christian-woman-to-death-in-pakistan</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/muslim-shoots-christian-woman-to-death-in-pakistan</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Christian Daily International / Morning Star News]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Body of Saba Mehboob after Sept. 3, 2026 shooting.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Tariq Chaman for Christian Daily International-Morning Star News ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Body of Saba Mehboob after Sept. 3, 2026 shooting. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 11:51:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[A married, 21-year-old Christian woman was shot dead inside her home in Rawalpindi last week by a Muslim neighbor whose advances she had rejected, reflecting an attitude among many Pakistan Muslims that crimes against Christians will go unpunished, sources said.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
A married, 21-year-old Christian woman was shot dead inside her home in Rawalpindi last week by a Muslim neighbor whose advances she had rejected, reflecting an attitude among many Pakistani Muslims that crimes against Christians will go unpunished, sources said.
Saba Mehboob, who separated from her husband a year ago, was shot in the forehead at about 9 p.m. on Thursday (Sept. 3), after the alleged assailant, Adnan Butt, entered the house in Dhoke Ratta locality with a pistol, according to her brother, Joshua Mehboob. The suspect then abducted her teenage stepbrother and pressured him to falsely confess to the killing, according to the victim’s family.
Joshua Mehboob, a member of a local Full Gospel Assemblies church, said Butt accused his sister of dishonoring him before shooting her in front of her 16-year-old stepbrother, Anoosh.
“According to Anoosh, he and his paternal uncles, Michael and Nomi, were in a room when Butt suddenly entered with Saba, loudly abusing her,” Mehboob said. “He pointed his pistol at Michael and Nomi and ordered them to leave. He then slapped Saba repeatedly while shouting that she had dishonored him and been disloyal to him.”
Butt then shot Saba in the forehead, killing her instantly, Mehboob said.
Butt subsequently forced Anoosh outside at gunpoint, where another man was waiting on a motorcycle, according to Mehboob. The two men allegedly took the teenager to the home of Butt’s brother-in-law, where several other people were present.
Mehboob said the men threatened to kill Anoosh if he told police that Butt had killed his sister and pressured the adolescent to confess to the murder.
“Anoosh was kept in their custody until about 5 p.m. on Sept. 4,” Mehboob said. “Meanwhile, Butt also threatened Anoosh’s father and other family members with death if they registered a case against him.”
He said Anoosh was released after his father and uncles agreed not to file a police complaint.
After his release, Anoosh went with relatives to the district headquarters hospital to receive his sister’s body, Mehboob said. Police arrived there to record his statement and, after hearing his account, asked him to become the complainant in the case, he said. Police subsequently took Anoosh and his father into protective custody, according to Mehboob.
A First Information Report (FIR) was registered, but Butt later obtained pre-arrest bail from a court, he said.
Mehboob alleged that Butt had been harassing and threatening Saba Mehboob for some time. He said she twice had slapped him after he blocked her way in a market.
“I think Saba’s rejection fueled his anger, leading him to murder her,” he said.
Saba Mehboob’s killing prompted a protest in Dhoke Ratta, where Christian and Muslim residents reportedly called for Butt’s arrest.
Rawalpindi-based journalist Tariq Chaman said members of Saba Mehboob’s family and local residents alleged that police were pressuring Anoosh to accept responsibility for his sister’s death.
“Police have denied the allegations and said the teenage boy is being kept in custody for his protection,” Chaman said. “His father has also been kept with him because the boy is a minor.”
The family and local elders are demanding the release of Anoosh and his father and calling for the investigation to be transferred from Dhoke Ratta police station to a senior police officer, Chaman said. His sources indicated that additional circumstances surrounding the case could emerge as the investigation progresses and potentially affect the direction of the murder inquiry.
“Local sources have claimed that Butt and his family have criminal histories, and it’s possible that the victim’s family may succumb to their pressure at some stage,” Chaman said.
Human rights advocates have long raised concerns about the vulnerability of religious minorities in Pakistan, particularly in cases involving sexual violence, forced conversion and allegations of blasphemy. Rights groups have also documented cases in which victims or their families face intimidation and pressure to settle disputes outside the formal justice system.
Mehboob told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News that his sister was one of five children born to his mother from her first marriage to Mehboob Masih. After Masih died several years ago, their mother remarried Yaqoob Masih and had five more children with him, including Anoosh.
Saba Mehboob married Zeeshan Mehmood about six years ago, but she separated from him more than a year ago because of his severe drug addiction and moved back to live with their mother in Dhoke Ratta with her two daughters, Joshua Mehboob said.
Open Doors, a Christian organization that monitors persecution, ranked Pakistan eighth in its 2026 World Watch List of countries where Christians face the greatest difficulty. The organization cited systemic discrimination, mob violence, forced conversion and weaknesses in law enforcement among the factors contributing to risks faced by Christians in Pakistan.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Killer of Graham Staines and sons seeks early release from prison]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/killer-of-graham-staines-and-sons-seeks-early-release-from-prison</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/killer-of-graham-staines-and-sons-seeks-early-release-from-prison</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Surinder Kaur]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Mahendra Hembram is garlanded as Hindus in India celebrate his release from prison on April 16, 2025.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Screenshot of YouTube video ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Mahendra Hembram is garlanded as Hindus in India celebrate his release from prison on April 16, 2025. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2026 15:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[More than 25 years after her husband and two sons were burned alive by a Hindu nationalist mob in India, Gladys Staines is again speaking of forgiveness even as the Odisha state government is pressured to decide on release from prison of the primary convict in the case.]]></description>
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More than 25 years after her husband and two sons were burned alive by a Hindu nationalist mob in India, Gladys Staines is again speaking of forgiveness even as the Odisha state government is pressured to decide on release from prison of the primary convict in the case.
The Supreme Court of India has pressed the state government to rule on the remission plea for early release by Rabindra Kumar Pal, better known as Dara Singh, the primary convict in the killing of Graham Stuart Staines and his two sons, Philip, 10 and Timothy, 6, in rural Odisha state.
In a statement sent to Christian Daily International in response to queries about the upcoming hearing, Staines said she had heard reports of the proceedings concerning Singh’s possible release.
“Continuing to follow Jesus’ teaching and example, I continue to forgive,” she said, reiterating what she had first stated in 2003: “I have forgiven the killers and have no bitterness, because forgiveness brings healing and our land needs healing,” and “God in Christ has forgiven me and expects his followers to do the same.”
In her statement to Christian Daily International, she added that she had “no comments regarding the law taking its own course” and did not plan to make any further statement, either now or after the hearing.
According to the Supreme Court’s official case status records for Writ Petition (Criminal) No. 301/2024, Rabindra Kumar Pal @ Dara Singh vs. State of Odisha & Anr., the matter was listed again on Sept. 2, as directed by the bench earlier.
The Sept. 2 hearing was heard by a partially reconstituted bench, with Justice Manmohan sitting alongside Justice Manoj Misra in place of Justice Vijay Bishnoi. Attorney Vishnu Shankar Jain appeared for Singh alongside his existing counsel, though the order itself records no reasoning beyond listing the matter for Sept. 8.
Supreme Court Hearing
Dara Singh filed his remission plea for premature release before the Supreme Court in 2024, after spending more than 26 years in prison.
The matter has been adjourned repeatedly since then to allow the Odisha government time to decide on his plea, which is examined by the State Sentence Review Board before any recommendation is forwarded to the government for final approval.
At a hearing on Aug. 19, the bench recorded that the matter had “been adjourned time and again to enable the respondents to take a decision on the plea of remission,” and that Singh had by then been incarcerated for “a period exceeding 26 years.”
The bench noted that when the case was last adjourned, the Sentence Review Board was said to be in the process of deciding on Singh’s plea. Appearing for the state, attorney P.V. Yogeswaran placed before the court a letter from the Directorate of Prisons and Correctional Services, Odisha, stating that a report from the district jail in Kendujhar (Keonjhar) was yet to be received.
“We are not informed about the decision of the Sentence Review Board,” the bench recorded in its order, directing that the matter be listed again on Sept. 2, “by which date, Sentence Review Board shall take a decision and apprise us about the decision.”
Beyond the written order, media reports of the oral courtroom exchange quoted the bench as telling the state’s counsel, “You take a decision, whichever way you want. If you do not take a decision, then we will,” and separately remarking, “We cannot tolerate this avoidance of decision.” These lines were reportedly spoken in court but do not appear in the bench’s signed order.
The Aug. 19 hearing also saw high-level representation from both sides: Additional Solicitors General K.M. Nataraj and Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar and Odisha Advocate General Pitambar Acharya appeared for the respondents, while Singh was represented by attorneys including A.P. Singh and V.P. Singh.
Court records also show that Singh has separately sought permission to appear and argue his case in person, and that a third party has filed an application seeking to intervene in the proceedings, though the case file does not specify the grounds for that request.
Manoharpur Killings
Graham Staines came to India in 1965, joining the Evangelical Missionary Society’s leprosy mission in Mayurbhanj, Odisha state, at that time called Orissa state.
The mission itself dated back to 1895, when the king of Mayurbhanj invited missionaries to the region, including Sri Rama Chandra Bhanja Deo, who was particularly invested in eradicating leprosy after his own daughter contracted the disease. Gladys reached Mayurbhanj in 1981 to serve as a missionary with Operation Mobilization, and it was there that she met Graham Staines; the two wed two years later. Their work extended beyond the leprosy home to include ministry at local churches and organizing Christian camps in the region.
Staines’ service was maligned as “converting tribals to Christianity” by the Hindu nationalist group Bajrang Dal, including Dara Singh, who himself had moved to Odisha from Uttar Pradesh state in 1989.
According to a letter Mahendra Hembram, one of the convicts in the case, wrote to his sister-in-law Kapura Tudu after the murders, he confessed that he along with Dara Singh burned the “Jisu, [Jesus].” Courts have clarified that Hembram’s use of the “Jisu” epithet was his way of referring to the Christian missionary.
Hembram mentioned that they were enraged over villagers “eating beef,” blaming it on Staines, and over the missionaries distributing sanitary pads and bras among tribal residents.
Beef (cow meat) formed part of the traditional Santal diet long before any missionary presence in the region. Nabendu Datta-Majumder in his1956 study, under the Department of Anthropology, printed by the Government of India Press, Calcutta, titled, “The Santal: A Study in Culture-Change,” records that cows and bullocks were among the domestic animals that “enter the Santal dietary,” their meat eaten alongside that of fowls, pigs, goats and buffaloes, typically killed on the occasion of social and religious festivals.
Central to this practice was a ritual called kutam dangra, in which a cow was sacrificed to the deity Orak’ Bonga and an ox to Marang Buru.
Datta-Majumder’s fieldwork, however, documents that this custom had already begun to erode under Hindu influence well before any Christian missionary contact: in some regions he studied, kutam dangra was “not performed...because of the influence of Hindu belief which forbids cows to be killed,” and elsewhere he notes that as the Hindu goddess Kali was absorbed into the local Santal pantheon, older festivals faded and “the sacrifice of cows has likewise disappeared.”
Tensions came to a head in January 1999, when Staines, his two sons, and several other Christians organized a five-day church camp in the jungles of Manoharpur village in Keonjhar District. On the night of Jan. 22, 1999, Staines and his sons Philip and Timothy were sleeping in their jeep, parked in front of a small church in the village, after attending the camp. A mob allegedly led by Dara Singh and Hembram surrounded the vehicle.
A retired police officer who was posted in Keonjhar at the time told media that the mob accused Staines of promoting religious conversion, assaulted him and his children, and forced them back inside the van despite Staines’s pleas for mercy. The attackers then poured kerosene on the vehicle and set it alight, shouting the slogans, “Jai Bajrang Bali [Victory to the Hindu deity Hanuman]” and “Dara Singh Zindabad [Long live Dara Singh]” and burning the father and his two sons to death.
The killings drew global condemnation and became one of the most widely reported instances of anti-Christian violence in India.
Investigation and Trial
India’s Central Bureau of Investigation initially arrested 51 people in connection with the killings. Over the years, courts acquitted all but three of the accused: Hembram, Dara Singh and Sudarshan Hansda, alias Chanchu, who was a minor at the time of the crime.
On Sept. 22, 2003, a special CBI court in Bhubaneswar handed Dara Singh a death sentence and imposed life terms on 12 co-accused, including Hembram. The Orissa High Court later acquitted 11 of those convicts, upholding sentences only for Dara Singh and Hembram. On May 19, 2005, the High Court commuted Dara Singh’s death sentence to life imprisonment while maintaining Hembram’s life term.
The Supreme Court upheld the commuted sentence in 2011.
Sudarshan Hansda was just 13 when he joined the mob that killed Staines and his sons and served nearly a decade in juvenile detention for it. He was released in 2008 after serving about nine and a half years for good behavior.
In April 2025, at age 39, he was baptized as a Baptist Christian, saying the decision was entirely his own, a search for peace after a string of personal tragedies, including the deaths of his parents, sisters, first wife, and infant son, led him to the local Baptist church in Manoharpur, the very village where Staines had worked.
Forgiveness and Honors
In the aftermath of the killings, Gladys Staines publicly forgave her husband’s and sons’ killers and chose to remain in India, returning to run the leprosy home where Staines had served. Her statement of forgiveness, first made in 2003, has since become closely associated with her public identity in India.
In 2005, the Government of India awarded her the Padma Shri, one of the country’s highest civilian honors, in recognition of her social service work; she was one of only two foreign nationals to receive the award that year, the other being author and former BBC correspondent Mark Tully.
In 2015, the Harmony Foundation conferred on her the Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice for her continued work with leprosy-affected communities in Odisha.
Staines eventually returned to Australia, though her legacy, and that of her husband, continues in the village where they once lived and worked.
Hembram’s Release 
The case returned to public attention in April 2025, when Odisha authorities released Mahendra Hembram from Keonjhar jail after 25 years on grounds of good conduct.
Hembram, now 52, was arrested on Dec. 9, 1999, months after the killings, while Dara Singh, who had remained on the run, was arrested on Jan. 31, 2000. Authorities lodged the two convicts in separate cells in Keonjhar jail for the following 25 years.
Upon his release, Hembram maintained his innocence, telling reporters, “I was innocent. But still I was in jail for the last 25 years.”
Hembram, who is associated with Bajrang Dal, walked out of the jail to a celebratory welcome, with supporters garlanding him and chanting “Jai Shri Ram [Hail! lord Rama].”
The joint secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Council of Hindus, a Hindu nationalist organization], attorney Kedar Dash, welcomed the release, saying, “It is a good day for us. We welcome the government’s decision.”
The reception drew sharp criticism from sections of the Christian community. John Dayal, an activist and spokesman for the United Christian Forum for Human Rights, told Christianity Today that Hembram’s release amounted to a convicted killer being “quietly merged into civil life after a long stay in jail.”
Christianity Today’s report noted that authorities had, over time, shortened the sentences of all the convicts in the case, which some observers see as reflecting a broader trend of Hindu nationalism in the country.
Odisha’s prison department also released 30 other convicts on the same day as Hembram, citing the state’s premature release policy for prisoners who had served between 14 and 25 years for murder.
Officials said the state’s 2022 guidelines require life convicts to serve a minimum of 14 years before remission is considered, with serious murder cases requiring 20 to 25 years, and additional age-based considerations for convicts above 60 for women and 65 for men.
Under this policy, the State Sentence Review Board examines inputs from district collectors and superintendents of police before forwarding its recommendations to the government, which grants final approval after clearance from the governor and the chief minister’s office.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Father in Uganda beaten by Muslim sons for accepting Christ]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/father-in-uganda-beaten-by-muslim-sons-for-accepting-christ</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/father-in-uganda-beaten-by-muslim-sons-for-accepting-christ</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Morning Star News]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Kibirige Abumusa after sons beat him on Aug. 9, 2026 for accepting Christ in Uganda.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Morning Star News ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Kibirige Abumusa after sons beat him on Aug. 9, 2026 for accepting Christ in Uganda. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2026 13:28:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[A 52-year-old Christian in eastern Uganda was recovering from injuries after his Muslim sons attacked him for leaving Islam, sources said.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
A 52-year-old Christian in eastern Uganda was recovering from injuries after his Muslim sons attacked him for leaving Islam, sources said.
In Nakalama village, Iganga Town Council, Kibirige Abumusa returned home on Aug. 9 after an extended stay in Jinja City, where he had put his faith in Christ on June 1. One of his adult sons, 28-year-old Kibirige Budallah, confronted him about his conversion, said neighbor and eyewitness Alice Naigaga.
Abumusa converted to Christianity after attending an open-air evangelistic event organized by Pastor Zakalia Sserwada of Evangel Church in Jinja City. A business colleague and member of True Worship Centre Church had encouraged Abumusa to attend the event.
Abumusa accepted Christ after attending the meetings for three days and later attended True Worship Church Centre in Jinja, where he stayed for discipleship until his return to his village in Iganga District on Aug. 9, according to the colleague, whose name is withheld for security reasons.
Abumusa’s son, Budallah, had learned about his conversion from Imam Kisige Musitafa of Jinja mosque, which Abumusa had previously attended. The imam had accompanied Abumusa to the evangelistic event, according to the friend. Immediately after Abumusa’s conversion, the imam informed Budallah, the source said.
Budallah questioned his father upon his return about abandoning Islam, calling him a kafir (infidel), and told him that he did not deserve to live because of his decision to leave Islam, Naigaga said. Budallah struck Abumusa with a stick, and his four other sons joined in beating him, said Naigaga, who took photographs of the attack from a distance before calling for neighborhood help.
By the time neighbors arrived, Abumusa was weak, bleeding from the nose and had wounds on his hands, legs and back, she said.
Naigaga said she heard Budallah referring to Islamic teachings concerning Muslims who leave Islam and claiming that killing such persons would earn the killer paradise.
Abumusa was taken to Iganga Hospital, where he received treatment for about a week. After being discharged, he took refuge at a friend’s house in another village, where he was continuing to recover.
Abumusa said he has not reported the assault to police, fearing his sons could further endanger him. He remained concerned about his safety in the face of hostility of his sons, his friend said.
Abumusa’s wife died in an accident in 2022, he said.
The attack was the latest of many instances of persecution of Christians in Uganda that Morning Star News has documented.
Uganda’s constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate one’s faith and convert from one faith to another. Muslims make up no more than 12 percent of Uganda’s population, with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Rights record in Pakistan jeopardizes trade status, EU official says]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/rights-record-in-pakistan-jeopardizes-trade-status-eu-official-says</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/rights-record-in-pakistan-jeopardizes-trade-status-eu-official-says</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Christian Daily International / Morning Star News]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[EU Ambassador to Pakistan Raimundas Karoblis.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Screenshot from Voicepk.net podcast ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ EU Ambassador to Pakistan Raimundas Karoblis. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 16:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Pakistan’s continued access to a lucrative European Union trade preference could be jeopardized if Islamabad fails to demonstrate meaningful progress in protecting human rights, including the rights of religious minorities, the EU ambassador to Pakistan warned.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Pakistan’s continued access to a lucrative European Union trade preference could be jeopardized if Islamabad fails to demonstrate meaningful progress in protecting human rights, including the rights of religious minorities, the EU ambassador to Pakistan warned.
Raimundas Karoblis said on Monday (Aug. 31) that Pakistan’s continuation in the EU’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) beyond 2029 was uncertain with the implementation of United Nations human rights conventions likely to be a decisive factor in the country’s reapplication.
“It is not certain and it is not guaranteed,” Karoblis stressed in a podcast with journalist Munizae Jahangir available on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGkeG0z3IbE)
“It depends on the level of implementation of the U.N. conventions,” he said. “One of the preconditions within the present GSP+ scheme and the future scheme is the absence of a serious failure in implementing the U.N. conventions. This is based, first of all, on the conclusions of the U.N. monitoring bodies.”
The comments come as religious freedom advocates continue to raise concerns about Pakistan’s treatment of Christians and other religious minorities, particularly in cases involving blasphemy allegations, forced conversions, child marriage, attacks on places of worship and discrimination in law and practice.
Under the current GSP+ arrangement, Pakistan receives extensive tariff preferences for exports to the EU, with the benefits estimated at around 732 million euros. The textile sector is among the major beneficiaries. The scheme links preferential trade access to implementation of international conventions on human rights, labor rights, environmental protection, climate change and good governance.
For Pakistan, which has ratified the 27 conventions required under the current GSP+ framework, the key issue in the coming years will therefore be implementation rather than ratification.
“All of the conventions have been ratified by Pakistan,” Karoblis said. “From a legal point of view, the first condition is therefore fulfilled. But now, particularly with the new scheme, the emphasis will be exactly on implementation. I mentioned already that the government will need to present an action plan with concrete measures for implementing or improving the implementation of the U.N. conventions. It will also need concrete timeframes and concrete performance indicators. So, indeed, implementation is really important.”
Under the proposed future system, the number of conventions will rise from 27 to 32. Karoblis said Pakistan had already ratified all of them. He stressed that the EU would consider not only future commitments but Pakistan’s existing record. The ambassador also specified, however, that if Pakistan does not reapply for GSP+, or fails to meet the conditions for the scheme, it would revert to ordinary GSP rather than lose all preferential trade treatment.
Under ordinary GSP, tariffs would remain approximately 30 percent lower than conventional tariffs applied to countries such as China and the United States, although they would be higher than under GSP+.
Religious Minorities among EU ‘Red Zones’
Karoblis identified minority rights as one of the principal areas where Pakistan had experienced regression despite progress in some other areas since the introduction of GSP+ in 2014.
“For example, there has been a reduction in the scope of the death penalty, a de facto moratorium on executions, implementation of legislation on torture, child marriage laws, and the strengthening of institutions responsible for human rights, such as the National Commission on Human Rights (NCHR) and the role of the Ministry of Law and Justice, among others,” he said. “But together with that, there has also been regression in some elements of human rights. The main areas of concern are enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, freedom of expression, the rights of journalists, and minority rights.”
The ambassador said the EU’s assessment drew on its July 2026 GSP+ report, findings by U.N. monitoring bodies and discussions with other stakeholders. He said these sources had raised “serious doubts” about Pakistan’s effective implementation of some of the conventions.
“In order to achieve a positive result with the reapplication, progress is therefore needed in precisely these areas,” he said.
Karoblis emphasized that the EU was not demanding that Pakistan adopt European standards.
“We are not talking about European-level standards or commitments. Nobody and nothing is perfect. But, of course, we expect a certain level of implementation,” he said.
Blasphemy Cases Concern
Karoblis said the EU had welcomed efforts by Pakistan’s government to reduce the number of blasphemy cases from the peak reached several years ago.
He also pointed to court decisions in Islamabad and Sindh Province that resulted in more than 100 people being released on bail. The situation in Punjab Provinice, however, remained a major concern, he said, with around 500 people, including young people, still affected by blasphemy-related cases.
Blasphemy accusations have frequently targeted Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan. Rights advocates have repeatedly warned that accusations can arise from personal disputes and can place entire minority communities at risk of mob violence, forced displacement and attacks on churches and homes.
Karoblis also raised concerns over groups he described as “blasphemy gangs.”
“But what we hear is that they are still active. Certain credible guarantees are necessary so that this kind of provocation should not work anymore.”
Karoblis singled out the treatment of the minority Ahmadi community as another serious issue.
“The situation of the Ahmadi community is a major concern. Ahmadis are also citizens of Pakistan, and their rights should also be respected,” he said, urging protection of their physical security, places of worship and other rights.
The EU is also discussing issues concerning registration of marriages and documentation with Pakistan’s government, he said, although “there is not yet anything concrete.”
The ambassador said the matter should be addressed positively “sooner rather than later” and no later than Pakistan’s GSP+ reapplication period.
Although Christians and Ahmadis face different legal and social circumstances in Pakistan, religious freedom advocates have long pointed to the broader problem of laws and practices that leave religious minorities vulnerable to discrimination, violence and abuse.
Child Marriage and Forced Conversion
The EU envoy also cited child marriage legislation among the areas in which Pakistan had made progress.
“For example, there has been a reduction in the scope of the death penalty, a de facto moratorium on executions, implementation of legislation on torture, child marriage laws, and the strengthening of institutions responsible for human rights, such as the National Commission on Human Rights (NCHR) and the role of the Ministry of Law and Justice, among others,” he said.
The implementation of child marriage laws has particular significance for Pakistan’s religious minorities because rights advocates have repeatedly documented cases in which minority girls are allegedly abducted, forcibly converted to Islam and married to older Muslim men. Advocates have argued that existing legal and institutional weaknesses can make it difficult for families to secure the recovery of minor girls and obtain effective legal remedies.
Karoblis said the EU expected Pakistan to demonstrate concrete implementation of its international commitments rather than simply maintain them on paper.
Freedom of expression and journalists’ rights were also among the ambassador’s areas of concern.
Karoblis cited the “letter” and implementation of amendments to Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), Punjab’s defamation laws and aspects of counterterrorism legislation.
“These are issues which really should be addressed in order to change the situation, make progress and tackle the challenges journalists face today,” he said.
Forced Disappearances
Karoblis said the EU had consistently raised concerns about forced disappearances and arbitrary detention with Pakistan. He acknowledged, however, the government’s argument that Pakistan faces a serious security threat.
“The first response is that we are in a specific security situation, which is true,” he said. “Pakistan ranks number one on the Global Terrorism Index. But our view is that even in this situation, human rights conventions and guarantees should be applied. We are not saying that the government should not fight against terrorism. But basic rights, such as the right of defense and the right of access to families, should be protected.”
He said perpetrators should be held accountable and called for enhanced monitoring of cases involving alleged enforced disappearances.
“There should also be enhanced monitoring of cases involving enforced disappearances, for example. These are elements which, in our view, are manageable and should be implemented,” he said. “So far, speaking with different stakeholders, the answers are slightly different in tone. But the question is really up to the government to decide whether, because of its position on security, it wants to move on this issue and in which direction.
“We very much expect, and we explain to all stakeholders, that this is one of the essential areas where we really need progress.”
The EU envoy also raised concerns about judicial proceedings, including military trials of civilians and the treatment of political opponents in detention. Karoblis said the EU was raising political pluralism, the rule of law and human rights in its dialogue with Pakistan.
“Political pluralism is one of the issues which we are raising in our human rights dialogues, in the specific subgroup on democracy, rule of law and human rights,” he said. “In these cases, the same as with the majority of other cases involving people who are in prison, we are looking primarily at issues such as conditions of imprisonment, conditions relating to torture, for example. We are also looking at issues concerning the right of defense and similar matters.”
He stressed that the EU was not attempting to determine the guilt or innocence of individuals in particular cases.
“Only the court should make the decision as to whether this person is guilty or not guilty, and I hope that in this case also the court will make a proper and justified verdict, one way or another,” he said.
On the trial of civilians in military courts, Karoblis said Pakistan’s security concerns were recognized but questioned whether such measures were proportionate. He linked the issue to Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ICCPR), which provides fair trial guarantees.
“It is really up to experts to look at this in more detail,” he said.
Karoblis rejected the suggestion that Pakistan’s growing diplomatic role, including its efforts to mediate between the United States and Iran and its engagement on Gaza, could provide Islamabad with political leverage in the GSP+ process.
“We very much appreciate the leadership of Pakistan in this mediation,” he said, but stressed that the GSP+ process was based on objective criteria and assessments by experts and U.N. monitoring bodies.
“Political influence to affect the process positively or to provide a push is very limited,” he said.
The message from Brussels, therefore, is that Pakistan’s diplomatic importance will not substitute for progress on human rights, he added.
Afghan Refugees 
The ambassador called for protection of Afghan refugees who would face danger if returned to Afghanistan.
“Afghan refugees have lived in Pakistan for 40 years and have been quite integrated into society,” he said. “I don’t see that they have created an additional burden for Pakistan. On the contrary, they have contributed significantly to GDP.”
Those who are eligible for international protection, for whom it is dangerous to return to Afghanistan, and vulnerable groups, should be protected, he said.
“Our expectation is that special care should be given to these categories of people. Deportation should not take place in such cases,” he said. “For other Afghans, their movement should, of course, be organized, carried out with dignity, and with guarantees concerning their property and other rights.”
Karoblis said that although Pakistan had not ratified all refugee-related conventions, the principle of non-refoulement remained binding. The ambassador ultimately framed the EU’s human rights concerns as extending beyond the GSP+ mechanism itself.
Asked why the EU was concerned about Pakistan’s treatment of its most vulnerable citizens, he said, “We are not talking about European-level standards, but about the United Nations conventions on human rights.”
“The economy and society cannot be prosperous if people are not free, and human rights are actually one of the essential elements,” he said. “It has also been proven by practice in all EU countries and in Europe in general. Of course, we are one of the promoters of human rights, but Pakistan is also a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council. The question, of course, is about implementation, and about vulnerable people. Once again, I repeat that society cannot be prosperous if a person is not free and if he or she does not enjoy the basic rights that constitute human rights.”]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Pakistan court rules marriage to underage girls is child abuse]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/pakistan-court-rules-marriage-to-underage-girls-is-child-abuse</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/pakistan-court-rules-marriage-to-underage-girls-is-child-abuse</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Christian Daily International / Morning Star News]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Maria Shahbaz’s parents Shahbaz Masih and Erum Shahbaz with attorney Saqib Jillani and rights activist Safdar Chaudhry (R) at Federal Constitutional Court building.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Christian Daily International-Morning Star News ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Maria Shahbaz’s parents Shahbaz Masih and Erum Shahbaz with attorney Saqib Jillani and rights activist Safdar Chaudhry (R) at Federal Constitutional Court building. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:47:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Christian leaders and attorneys this week welcomed a Lahore High Court (LHC) ruling that says living in a marital relationship with a girl under 18 can constitute child abuse even if the minor consents.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Christian leaders and attorneys this week welcomed a Lahore High Court (LHC) ruling that says living in a marital relationship with a girl under 18 can constitute child abuse even if the minor consents.
They described the decision as a significant development in efforts to protect minority girls from child marriage and forced religious conversions.
In an 11-page written judgment issued on Monday (Aug. 31) in the case of a Muslim minor, Hina Aslam, LHC Justice Munawar Iqbal Duggal ruled that a marriage involving a person younger than 18 falls within the definition of child marriage under the recently enacted Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act 2026. The court said the new law had changed the legal position on child marriage and must be applied accordingly.
The ruling placed the protection and welfare of the minor at the center of the proceedings, declining to grant immediate custody to either side. Justice Duggal ordered that Hina be placed in the safe custody of the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau and directed police to investigate allegations of underage marriage and the issuance of a fraudulent marriage certificate.
The court held that a minor’s consent does not confer a legal right to live with an adult in a marital relationship.
“A marital relationship with a minor resulting from child marriage can constitute child abuse and may carry a prison sentence of five to seven years,” the judgment stated.
It added that the offense of child abuse could also attract a fine of at least 1 million Pakistani rupees (about $3,605).
The court ordered that Hina could not leave with the man claiming to be her husband. Meetings with her parents or the alleged husband were permitted only under supervision, the ruling stated. The issue of permanent custody will be decided by the Lahore Guardian Court, according to the judgment.
Hina was about 15 years and two months old when the alleged marriage took place, according to the ruling, which followed a petition filed by her father, Muhammad Aslam. The court cited records from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), which give her date of birth as March 1, 2011.
Justice Duggal directed the station house officer of B-Division Police Station in Kasur District, Punjab Province, to investigate the allegations of underage marriage and issuance of a fake marriage certificate and to register a case if an offense was established.
The court also rejected the police’s position that they could not investigate the allegations of underage marriage. It said a separate First Information Report (FIR) could be registered if the investigation established that an offense other than the alleged kidnapping had occurred.
Christian leaders and rights advocates said the judgment could strengthen legal protections for underage girls from religious minority communities, particularly if police and lower courts consistently enforce the new child marriage law.
Ejaz Alam Augustine, a Christian member of the Punjab Assembly, said he welcomed the court’s decision to prioritize the child’s welfare.
“It’s a good judgment. I’m glad that the court has put the child under protective custody and ordered a police investigation into the sham marriage,” Augustine told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “This verdict should have a positive impact on all cases of child marriage, particularly those involving underage girls from minority communities, including Christians and Hindus.”
Augustine had proposed an amendment to the Punjab child marriage legislation requiring the “best interests of the child” to be a primary consideration in proceedings under the law, including investigations, bail, sentencing and custody. The amendment was approved by the Punjab Assembly when the bill was passed on April 27.
The provision also states that a child involved in a marriage cannot be treated as an offender and that purported consent by a minor, particularly where coercion or abduction is alleged, is not determinative in decisions concerning custody or protection.
Augustine said he hoped police and lower courts would follow the high court’s interpretation and enforce the law consistently.
“This ruling has set a remarkable precedent for all cases of similar nature,” he said. “If the police and courts implement the law effectively, no one should be able to exploit underage girls under the guise of conversion and marriage.”
Muhammad Saqib Jillani, an attorney of the Supreme Court who represents the family of 13-year-old Christian Maria Shahbaz in a high-profile child marriage case before the Federal Constitutional Court, characterized the high court ruling as an important development in the legal position on child marriage.
“The Lahore High Court ruling has distinguished Hina’s case from the Feb. 3 FCC judgment upholding Maria Shahbaz’s marriage with 30-year-old Shehryar Ahmad, noting that the Punjab child marriage law came into force after the FCC ruling. In a way, the high court has stated that the FCC judgment is no longer valid after the law,” Jillani told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “This is very good news.”
Katherine Sapna of the Christians’ True Spirit paralegal organization also welcomed the ruling but expressed caution about its practical impact on cases involving minority girls.
“We have observed that police and subordinate courts often show bias in cases involving underage Christian girls, who are converted and married to their abductors,” she said. “Legal protections for children should be applied without any religious discrimination.”
Rights groups have for years raised concerns about alleged abductions, forced religious conversions and forced marriages involving Christian and other religious minority girls and women in Pakistan. A report titled, “Stolen Girls,” presented by advocacy organization Jubilee Campaign at the European Parliament on July 14, documented 210 cases involving alleged abduction, forced religious conversion, child marriage and sexual violence against Christian and other minority girls between 2019 and 2025.
The report said the cases pointed to what it described as a broader pattern of abuse allegedly facilitated by fraudulent documentation, manipulation of legal processes and institutional failures. Of the 210 cases it documented, 186, or 88.6 percent, occurred in Punjab Province; 22, or 10.5 percent, in Sindh Province; and two, or about 1 percent, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.
More than 83 percent of the victims were under 18, according to the report. It identified 134 victims aged 14 to 17, 41 younger than 14 and 35 adults. The average age of the victims was 12.8 years, compared with 35.8 years for the alleged perpetrators. In several cases, the report said, the age difference exceeded 30 years.
The figures represent cases documented by Jubilee Campaign and do not constitute a comprehensive count of all alleged abduction, forced conversion or child marriage cases involving religious minorities in Pakistan.
Pakistan was ranked eighth among 50 countries in Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List, which identifies countries where Christians face severe persecution. The organization cited systemic discrimination, mob violence, forced conversion, bonded labor and gender-based abuses among the concerns affecting Christians in Pakistan.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[US slams 'golden door' on world’s persecuted Christians, report says]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/us-slams-golden-door-on-worlds-persecuted-christians-report-says</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/us-slams-golden-door-on-worlds-persecuted-christians-report-says</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Edward Ross]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/52/5222.jpg">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[The Statue of Liberty stands in New York Harbor, long a symbol of refuge for those fleeing persecution, its pedestal bearing Emma Lazarus’ sonnet welcoming immigrants through a “golden door.” Fiscal Year 2026 will likely close Sept. 30 with no persecuted ]]></media:title>
                                                            <media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">
                                    <![CDATA[ iStock/kasto80 ]]>
                                </media:credit>
                                                                                        <media:description type="plain">
                                    <![CDATA[ The Statue of Liberty stands in New York Harbor, long a symbol of refuge for those fleeing persecution, its pedestal bearing Emma Lazarus’ sonnet welcoming immigrants through a “golden door.” Fiscal Year 2026 will likely close Sept. 30 with no persecuted religious minorities resettled in the United States, according to a Sept. 3, 2026 report by World Relief and Open Doors US. ]]>
                                </media:description>
                                                    </media:content>
                                                                                                <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/52/5224.png">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Arrival of Christian refugees from the 50 countries of Open Doors 2026 World Watch List.]]></media:title>
                                                            <media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">
                                    <![CDATA[ State of the Golden Door Report ]]>
                                </media:credit>
                                                                                        <media:description type="plain">
                                    <![CDATA[ Arrival of Christian refugees from the 50 countries of Open Doors 2026 World Watch List. ]]>
                                </media:description>
                                                    </media:content>
                                                                                                <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/52/5225.png">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Number of Christian refugee arrivals from selected countries: 2020, 2024, 2025, 2026.]]></media:title>
                                                            <media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">
                                    <![CDATA[ State of the Golden Door Report ]]>
                                </media:credit>
                                                                                        <media:description type="plain">
                                    <![CDATA[ Number of Christian refugee arrivals from selected countries: 2020, 2024, 2025, 2026. ]]>
                                </media:description>
                                                    </media:content>
                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:25:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The U.S. government’s 2026 Fiscal Year ending on Sept. 30 likely will be the first in a quarter century in which no refugees enduring religious persecution are resettled in the United States, according to a report by two Christian aid agencies.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The U.S. government’s 2026 Fiscal Year ending on Sept. 30 likely will be the first in a quarter century in which no refugees enduring religious persecution are resettled in the United States, according to a report by two Christian aid agencies.
“Barring a significant change in U.S. policy in the final month of the federal fiscal year, we anticipate that FY2026 will be the first year in at least a quarter century, and likely in the entire history of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, in which persecuted religious minorities have been completely shut out,” concludes the report released today (Sept. 3) by humanitarian organization World Relief and Christian support group Open Doors US.
Amid unprecedented levels of persecution of Christians worldwide, the experience of seekers of asylum in the United States in 2025 and 2026 has been unpredictable and chaotic, states the report, “State of the Golden Door: Evaluating U.S. Refugee Resettlement and Asylum in Light of Global Christian Persecution.”
“While the leaders of both World Relief and Open Doors US affirm the need to ensure secure borders and the need for reforms to the asylum system, those goals cannot come at the cost of legitimate asylum applicants’ safety and right to a fair process,” it states. “The combination of changes outlined here have together, functionally discontinued the asylum system in the U.S. This means, in turn, that for those asylum seekers with legitimate concerns of persecution on account of their faith, the U.S. may not offer the safety it has for many years promised to provide.”
In a letter introducing the report, Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief, and Ryan Brown, president and CEO of Open Doors US, state that their organizations are politically non-partisan but that, as all human beings are created in God’s image with inherent dignity, they believe they are worth protecting.
“We also take seriously the Old Testament command to welcome the stranger, as well as Jesus’ admonition to care for the neighbor, illustrated in the parable of the Good Samaritan, as extending beyond those who happen to share the same ethnic or religious characteristics,” they write.
Many Christians agree with them, they stated, that the U.S. should keep open refugee access, termed the “golden door” as referenced on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. Recent polling by Lifeway Research found that 70 percent of evangelical Christians believe the U.S. has a moral responsibility to accept refugees, regardless of whether those refugees are Christian. Even more recently, 82 percent of Protestant pastors agreed, they stated.
Greene said at a briefing in Washington, D.C. on Thursday (Sept. 3), “The U.S. has taken this golden door and closed it.”
Ara Torosian, who arrived in the U.S. as a refugee from Iran, pastors Cornerstone Church in West Los Angeles, which includes other Iranian refugees. He said at the briefing that persecuted Christians trying to attain asylum are trying to save their lives and are not a danger to the United States.
“America has always been a place of refuge for Christian people,” Pastor Torosian said.
The U.S. administration of President Donald Trump in early 2025 halted all refugee resettlement via executive order with very narrow exceptions, and while the program was never officially restarted, the Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2026 set a new precedent, the report notes.

“Disregarding the traditional international legal definition of a refugee, individuals identified outside of their country of origin who have a well-founded fear of persecution, it instead made a provision for resettling 7,500 white South Africans, mostly of the Afrikaner heritage, whom it describes as ‘victims of unjust racial discrimination,’” the report states, noting that the ceiling increased to 17,500 in June but with the same singular focus on one group. “Notwithstanding the hardship that some South Africans have experienced, South Africa is not known to be a country which restricts religious liberty, so any hardship experienced is unlikely to be religiously motivated. Because the three individuals resettled this fiscal year who were not from South Africa were not members of religious minorities in their country of origin, we can confidently conclude that, thus far in FY2026, no refugees experiencing religious persecution were resettled in the U.S.”
Since the Refugee Act of 1980 established the foundations of the modern resettlement program, the U.S. has accepted nearly 3.7 million refugees primarily through the Refugee Admissions Program, the report states. The law draws on the international definition of a refugee, determining that those fleeing credible threats of persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular group could qualify as a refugee with proper documentation and screening.
“On average, the nation has resettled an [annual] average of about 73,500, with more than 200,000 arriving in a single year in 1980 and several other years exceeding 100,000,” it states. “In recent years, this number has plummeted.”

The administration has also begun efforts to send away immigrants already accepted as refugees. In November 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced its intention to reopen the cases of some 230,000 refugees admitted under the previous administration, while also pausing green card processing for refugees who entered during the same time period. DHS then in January announced Operation Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening (PARRIS), claiming it would address fraud in the refugee resettlement program, the report states.
“They began in Minnesota, specifically targeting 5,600 refugees who had not yet received green cards,” it states. “Through Operation PARRIS, around 150 refugees were detained, some through door-to-door arrests, and transferred to Texas for re-interviews. A number of these refugees were released in Texas without transportation back to Minnesota, and in some cases without their documentation.”
A court case, U.H.A v Bondi, halted Operation PARRIS’s arrests and detentions in Minnesota, accusing DHS of detaining refugees for lacking green cards while at the same time preventing refugees from receiving them. Another lawsuit, Jean A. v Noem, seeks to prevent similar tactics nationwide; it is ongoing but led to a nationwide pause on the policy until the case is decided.
DHS has since shifted from detentions to call-in letters for re-interviews across the country.
“The policy continues to cause fear for refugees and their families, employers and communities, including for many whose refugee designation was based upon religious persecution,” the report states.
The report highlights the case of Saw Shining, who fled Burma (Myanmar) and first arrived in Minnesota more than 15 years ago as a refugee after decades in a Thai refugee camp. He became pastor of a church in Minneapolis that included Christian Karen people, a persecuted ethnolinguistic group from southeastern Burma. He also became a naturalized U.S. citizen.
“When he and the Karen community heard President Trump’s calls for aggressive immigration enforcement, they thought that those without a criminal record would be safe, especially given their legal status as refugees,” the report states. “However, as Operation PARRIS rolled out, it soon became clear that even some immigrants who were lawfully present and had not been charged with crimes were being targeted for detention. Overnight, the community became fearful of law enforcement, evoking memories of encounters with police in Burma and Thailand, where refugees were closely monitored and kept apart simply due to their status as refugees.”
Older members of the Karen community in Minneapolis or who those who spoke less English began to stay at home, even U.S. citizens like Saw Shining’s parents.
“Nevertheless, between 30 to 50 lawfully present Karen refugees who had not yet received their green cards were detained during Operation PARRIS,” the report states. “One member of his previous church was separated for three weeks from her 5-month-old baby – whom she had been breastfeeding prior to her detention – while she was being reinterviewed in Texas.”
While all members of the community have returned after the judicial orders, call-in letters have continued to arrive for reinterviews, the report notes.
“What happened [during Operation PARRIS] was really hard for our Karen people,” Pastor Shining said. “We are not Thai or Burmese citizens; we are U.S. citizens. This nation is ours, and we must love, care for and support our Constitution. We do not want to become stateless again.”
At this writing the Trump administration had yet to respond to a request for comment on the Golden Door report.
Approval Rate Plummets
In the Refugee Act and as a party to an international convention, the U.S. has pledged not to turn away people who can demonstrate they meet the necessary conditions for asylum. Unlike refugees, there is no legal limit on the number of asylum seekers that can be approved each year.
The two main avenues for asylum are an “affirmative” claim, when applicants submit a claim to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and a “defensive” claim, when the DHS seeks to deport someone and the person pleads asylum at a removal hearing in front of an immigration judge.
“While data is not publicly available on the religious demographics of those who seek asylum defensively, it’s clear that as the overall asylum approval rate has plummeted, Christians fleeing religious persecution are much less likely to be approved as well,” the report states.
In FY2023, immigration judges granted asylum to 17,157 people of all religious backgrounds from countries on the World Watch List of the 50 countries with the worst persecution, accounting for 58 percent of all asylum decisions for those from those countries, according to the report. In FY2025, the approval rate declined to 26 percent for those from those 50 countries.
“During the first nine months of FY2026, the approval rate for these countries had declined further, to just 10 percent,” the report states. “Specific countries that rank high on the World Watch List for Christian persecution such as Iran (#10), India (#12) and China (#17) have been particularly affected by the stark decline in asylum approval rates in immigration court.”
For each year from FY2020 to FY2024, at least 62 percent of asylum decisions for Indian nationals were approvals, but for FY2026, the asylum approval rate has dropped to just 6 percent. Iran has historically had very high rates of asylum approvals before immigration judges, above 80 percent from FY2020 through FY2024, but for FY2025 and FY2026 year-to-date, it has fallen to just 38 percent, with most Iranian asylum applicants being denied, according to the report.
Rates of asylum approval for Chinese nationals fell from as high as 88 percent in FY2022 to just 29 percent thus far in FY2026, it states.
“The decrease in approved asylum cases coincides with a dramatic increase in the number of asylum claims being adjudicated,” the report notes. “FY2025 saw 121,936 decisions, the highest ever, likely due to the speed at which cases were being decided.”
Refoulement
The principle of non-refoulement, established in international law and in U.S. statute, states that countries will not deport anyone (especially refugees and asylum seekers) back to countries where their “life or freedom would be threatened” due to “race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.”
To avoid explicitly violating the principle of non-refoulement, the Department of State has made arrangements with third countries to allow the U.S. to deport would-be asylum seekers to those other countries rather than back to the asylum seeker’s home country, the report states.
“As a result, over 21,000 people have been deported to countries to which they have never been, have no connections in, and in some cases, do not even speak the language,” it notes. “The U.S. currently has third-country removal agreements with 35 nations, most of which are in Africa or Central America. Since these agreements are not public, the exact details of this process is unclear, but some agreements have resulted in people being repatriated by the third country back to the country where they initially fled persecution.”
Those removed have included asylum seekers at the southern border, those with pending cases in immigration court and others who have been granted protection from removal, the report states.
“Credible reports suggest that in transport, Non-refoulement & Deportation Agreements individuals have been shackled, held in primitive conditions and threatened with being sent back to their home country,” it states. “Furthermore, when people are being sent to countries where they have almost no resources, it renders them extremely vulnerable to abuse and injustice.”
These third-country deportations have impacted persecuted Christians. In February 2025, an Iranian woman who converted to Christianity and fled fearing persecution made it into the U.S. only to have her claims for asylum ignored, according to the report.
“She was subsequently sent to a detention camp in Panama’s jungle. There, she was held, along with several other Iranian Christians who had sought asylum in the U.S., only to be turned away,” it states.
These policies have been repeatedly challenged in court, both in the U.S. and in the third countries themselves, but as of this year, the deportations continue, according to the report.
“World Relief and Open Doors US firmly believe that returning someone to a place of persecution – however indirectly – is a stark violation of the principles on which our nation was founded, and in direct contradiction to our beliefs as Christians.”]]></content:encoded>
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