World in Brief

Christian in prisons are victims of two-tier treatment in Pakistan, with many exposed to poor living conditions compared to Muslim counterparts. A new study has revealed that believers are ostracised by staff and inmates alike, are not provided with daily necessities and are forced to carry out unfavourable duties, according to Open Doors.

The study revealed that while Christians and others belonging to minority religions were poorly treated between 2022 and 2025, thousands of Muslim prisoners had their sentences reduced for memorising the Qur’an or observing Ramadan.

Luke Randall

Five Protestant churches in Sumgait, Azerbaijan are currently barred from holding worship services due to unanswered registration applications with the authorities. Some of their applications have been in place for years, but the congregations have been left in limbo, simply told that religious meetings are “forbidden” without registration.

According to Forum 18, the churches have been warned that they will face punishment if they hold unauthorised gatherings. One church stated that they are “being restricted from exercising our constitutional right to worship peacefully and to practice our faith”.

Luke Randall

New restrictions have been imposed on online religious activity in China, with a new code of conduct for “religious clerical personnel” dictating that religious education and training are only permitted from state-approved organisations, while engagement with overseas religious activities is prohibited.

China Christian Daily report that the Code of Conduct for Religious Clerical Personnel in Cyberspace, known as the Code, also bans online self-promotion, the circulation of extreme religious views and preaching to children, among several other activities.

Luke Randall

The construction of a church and religious tourism venue has been stopped in Central Java Province, Indonesia, following pressure by local Muslims. The suspension of the project was implemented on the grounds that several community groups did not support the project, but there are hopes that building works will restart, Morning Star News reports.

Officials now claim that they have suspended the group’s permit to prevent local “social conflict”, and because their permit did not grant permission for the religious tourism site next to the church to be built. The construction was therefore halted until issues with their permit are resolved.

Luke Randall

A Christian man in Pakistan has been accused of posting blasphemous content on Facebook, including posts against Muhammad, but he has since filed a counter-complaint alleging that he is innocent and that his uncle has created the account and framed him.

According to CLAAS-UK, the police have logged his original case under Section 295-C, which stipulates that defiling the name of Muhammad carries life in jail or the death penalty. The man, who has said that he has “deep respect” for all prophets, has reportedly gone into hiding and called for the Facebook account to be blocked.

Luke Randall

The young children of a pastor and his wife in Uttar Pradesh, India were left without adult supervision as their parents were arrested, alongside three others, on charges of forced conversion. Pastor Vinod Pal Singh and his wife have subsequently been released on bail, but claim they were “framed under a completely fabricated case”, according to Evangelical Focus.

Reports indicate that the mother of the four- and seven-year-old children was beaten following their arrest for the supposed attempted conversion of a 23-year-old man. The children were left unattended in the church where the arrest took place.

Luke Randall

Christians have gathered in Erbil, Iraq to mark ten years since the decline of ISIS influence in the region. Representatives from five historic churches were present at the commemoration, which also celebrated the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, reports Premier Christian News.

The Iraqi church has experienced heartache in recent decades, with its number believed to have decreased from about a million to less than 250,000. However John Newton, from Aid to the Church in Need, described the event as “deeply symbolic”, and said that “faith has survived and hope is stronger than death”.

Luke Randall

A Christian in Pakistan has died of a heart attack just two days after being released from prison. Zafar Bhatti had been jailed in 2012 for allegedly sending blasphemous texts and his release had not been expected, according to Release International.

Bhatti had always denied the charges, which were brought against him by a local Islamic leader. He is believed to have been tortured while in custody but would not admit to the crime. He was sentenced to death in 2021, four years before his surprise release.

Luke Randall

The first Christian to be charged under new anti-conversion laws in Uttarakhand state, India has been found not guilty and released after a four-year legal case. Pastor Nandan Singh was one of about 25 believers who had been accused of converting people when Hindus broke into his home, where he was hosting an all-night prayer vigil.

According to Morning Star News, the pastor was accused of trying to convert poorer members of his community, including through the use of incentives for their conversions, at evening prayer meetings, which his accusers alleged had been taking place for six months. He has now been cleared of all charges.

Luke Randall

Islamic extremists have tried to take a Christian school by force in Sudan, commanding those inside the building, including children and people displaced by the ongoing national civil war, to leave. This is not the first attack to take place at the Evangelical School of Sudan, which is owned by the Sudan Evangelical Presbyterian Church (SEPC).

Morning Star News reports that the fact that displaced people have sought refuge in the school had not deterred the three attackers. They threatened those inside and broke the door to the headmaster’s office as they entered it.

Luke Randall

A Spanish public TV channel has apologised after describing the growth of evangelicalism in the country as “worrying”. Officials from TV channel RTVE have pledged to “take note of the mistake” and “treat religious issues with the utmost care” moving forward, according to Evangelical Focus.

The channel’s broadcast was met with significant evangelical backlash across the country and prompted a complaint from the Federation of Religious and Evangelical Entities of Spain (FEREDE). RTVE’s audience ombudswoman told viewers that they are “very sorry” and “fully understand your anger”.

Luke Randall

Over 1,000 people attended an outdoor service in Zurich, Switzerland, united from across 13 independent evangelical churches. The event featured music and testimony, as well as public professions of faith from 21 people, reports Evangelical Focus.

The service was organised on this date to mark the Day of Thanksgiving, Repentance and Prayer which is celebrated by Christians in Switzerland on the third Sunday in September. A March for Life had even taken place the day before in the Oerlikon area to complete what was a noteworthy weekend in the city.

Luke Randall

A Christian pastor in western Nigeria has been killed by his captors, even after they received a ransom payment of 5million naira. He was found dead in the wilderness over a month after he was kidnapped from his home in Patigi County, according to Morning Star News.

The suspects are believed to be Fulani bandits and they are believed to have originally set their price at 100 million naira, before the man’s family agreed to pay 5 million. However, following the payment the attackers demanded 45 million more before killing him anyway.

Luke Randall

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) is considering newly introduced law Bill C-9, which has been sent to a parliamentary committee to be studied. The law, which relates to combatting hate, defines hatred and creates four new offences in the Criminal Code, according to an EFC summary.

The Canadian Justice Minister is a key proponent of the proposed law, and said its implementation will help to protect against antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism, as well as homophobia and transphobia. The EFC say they will make a submission on the bill to the committee studying it.

Luke Randall