World in Brief

A Christian in eastern Uganda has been attacked by Muslims and hospitalised after he and his wife engaged in an outreach event. The couple were returning to where they were staying after attending an evening service and then participating in street evangelism when nine Muslims questioned them and then beat him until he lost consciousness, according to Morning Star News.

The incident occurred at about 7pm and escalated when the attackers expressed opposition to their preaching the gospel. The man’s wife revealed that his left leg and right hand were fractured and his Bible was torn.

A Council of Churches Baptist member who conscientiously objected to serving in the Russia-Ukraine conflict has died after brutal treatment. Dmytro Koval had requested to serve instead in a civilian capacity, which was refused. He died following torture from the Skelya Assault Regiment in Dnipropetrovsk Region after he refused to eat.

Forum 18 reports that uncertainty surrounds the 50-year-old’s death, with his death certificate stating he had died of an “unspecified” pulmonary-cardiac problem “in a car”. However, his family claim his body showed signs of physical torture, leaving questions surrounding the cause of death.

A 17-year-old Christian in Cuba has been released from prison after serving three months for peacefully protesting, during which he experienced torture which saw his health deteriorate. Jonathan David Muir Burgos had been arrested alongside his father, a Protestant pastor, who was released later that day while he, 16 at the time, was sent to a maximum-security jail for adults.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) revealed that Burgos’ sentence featured psychological and physical abuse, as well as a lack of medical treatment for problematic conditions. His release comes on conditions, including that he does not make statements in public.

A Christian convert facing terrorism charges in Egypt faces another period of waiting after his hearing was delayed until September. Saeid Mansour Abdulraziq was arrested for trying to change his religion to Christianity on ID documents and he has been charged with joining a terrorist group, stirring unrest and spreading fake news, reports Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

As reported in our June issue, Abdulraziq has been subjected to inhumane treatment behind bars, including being hung in the crucifixion position. His lawyer pledged to “take all necessary legal measures” to protect his rights throughout the case.

An Indian pastor has fled his home in Punjab state after being wrongly named in a criminal case by a Sikh man who allegedly set his church and home on fire. Pastor Prakash Singh and other church members had been involved in an incident with the man after he had beaten another member, according to Morning Star News sources.

The Sikh man, known as Kalu, had made several disparaging comments about Singh’s faith and threatened his safety. The matter remains before the authorities as they consider how to proceed.

Fulani herdsmen have killed 28 Christians in an attack on a village in Plateau state, Nigeria after being directed towards Christian leaders. Witnesses have spoken of the brutality of the incident, with cut phone lines preventing calls for help and residents shot immediately if they left their homes.

Morning Star News report that the attackers appeared to be aided in their targeting of Christian leaders by local Fulani herdsmen from nearby villages. The incident saw a pastor and several members of his congregation killed.

Two Montagnard Christians in Vietnam have been arrested for “undermining national unity”, with authorities claiming they used their beliefs to fuel separatist feeling in the nation’s Central Highlands. They are also believed to have been involved in work with different ethnic groups in ways deemed unacceptable to the authorities.

The men, 68 and 40, were charged in a way commonly used against religious and ethnic minority groups, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide. This serves as the latest example of persistent persecution of minority communities in the region.

Madrid has become the first region in Spain to pass a law recognising the unborn child as a family member from the start of pregnancy, providing earlier access to relevant benefits available to larger families, including grants and discounts.

The motion sees families with two children regarded as “large families” when a pregnancy with a third reaches 14 weeks, providing immediate discounts on public transport. Evangelical Focus reports that conservatives are pleased to have granted the unborn with “economic and social recognition”, while abortion supporters opposed the measure in a tense debate.

Anti-religious attacks have increased markedly in France, with half of all incidents featuring persecution of Jews, while churches are also regularly targeted.

Research released by the Ministry of the Interior shows that the number of incidents has increased by close to 150% overall since 2010, with anti-Semitic attacks increasing by over 1,200% between September and October 2023, around the time of the Hamas attacks. Evangelical Focus report that there was a 9% rise in anti-Christian incidents between 2024 and 2025, with most attacks involving property damage, making Christian venues the most frequently targeted premises.

The Italian and Chilean governments have together called for work to be done to ban surrogacy, warning that the practice violates human rights and harms children through a “deliberate separation” from their mothers. The two states also highlighted the risks posed to women and girls including “coercion” and “exploitation” in a declaration made to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council.

Evangelical Focus report that the declaration was presented at an event moderated by ADF International, in which Italy’s Family, Natality and Equal Opportunities minister Eugenia Roccella argued the “global phenomenon” cannot be confined domestically but must be addressed internationally.

Luke Randall

A Presbyterian church in Sudan in Kadugli, Sudan has been burned down overnight in what is believed to have been an arson attack. The premises is being completely rebuilt following extensive damage, but the congregation continues to meet for worship under trees.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports that the church, which serves as the only Christian worship place in the area, had faced an extensive legal battle with local Muslims to be allowed to worship in the building, and had done so peacefully since 2020 until the attack.

Luke Randall