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Image courtesy of CSW-UKIRAN | Pastor Arrested as Farsi Language Church Considers Closure    5.21.13

Rev. Robert Asserian, a pastor at the Central Assemblies of God Church in Tehran, was arrested May 21 while conducting a prayer meeting at the church... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKNIGERIA | Escalating Violence Prompts State of Emergency     5.15.13

On May 14, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States to address the “systematic effort by insurgents and terrorists groups... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKERITREA | CSW Calls for End to Human Rights Violations in Eritrea     5.14.13

Christian Solidarity Worldwide renews its call for an end to human rights violations in Eritrea, including the abuse of freedom of religion or belief, ahead of the 11th anniversary of a government crackdown... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKBURMA | CSW Releases New Report Detailing Human Rights Abuses     5.13.13

Christian Solidarity Worldwide released a new report on May 13 on human rights in Burma following a four-week fact-finding visit to the country... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKIRAN | Christians Returned to Jail After High Court Upholds Sentence     5.10.13

An Iranian Assemblies of God pastor, his wife and two church workers have been returned to jail after their one year sentences for converting to Christianity and “propagation against the Islamic regime through evangelism"... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKNIGERIA | Upsurge of Violence in Northern, Central States     5.9.13

Northern and Central Nigerian states have seen an upsurge of violence in recent weeks. Christian Solidarity Worldwide has received eyewitness reports that the violence that broke out May 3 in Taraba State... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKSUDAN | Paramount Chief of Ngok Dinka Buried in Abyei     5.8.13

Chief Kuol Deng Kuol, Paramount Chief of nine Ngok Dinka peoples in Abyei, Sudan, was buried on May 6. He died on May 4 when his convoy was ambushed by members of the Arab Misseriya... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKTANZANIA | Catholic Cathedral Bombed     5.8.13

Three people were killed and more than 60 injured when a church service inaugurating a new Catholic Cathedral in Arusha, Tanzania was bombed on May 5... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKIRAN | Pastor Abedini Moved To Solitary Confinement     5.1.13

Pastor Saeed Abedini, a convert to Christianity with dual United States/Iranian nationality who was sentenced to eight years in prison in January for “actions against the national security of Iran,” has been placed in solitary confinement... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKNORTH KOREA | New Song Marks North Korea Freedom Week     4.29.13

A new song aimed at drawing attention to North Korea’s dire human rights crisis and inspired by the story of North Korean escapee Shin Dong-hyuk and the work of CSW, has been released by UK-based band, Ooberfuse... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKVIETNAM | Christian Activist Blocked From Meeting U.S. Official     4.24.13

Christian lawyer and human rights defender Nguyen Van Dai has spoken out about being barred from meeting with U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Dan Baer ... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKSYRIA | CSW Calls for Urgent International Action for Release of Archbishops     4.23.13

Christian Solidarity Worldwide is deeply concerned by the kidnapping of the Greek Orthodox and Syriac Orthodox Archbishops of Aleppo and is calling for urgent international action to ensure their swift release... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKBURMA | CSW Urges European Union to Prioritize Human Rights     4.23.13

Christian Solidarity Worldwide urged the European Union (EU) to ensure that continuing grave violations of human rights, including religious freedom, in Burma remain a priority... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKTURKEY | Court Case Continues on Anniversary of Malatya Murders     4.18.13

April 18 marks the sixth anniversary of the murders of three Christians at a publishing house in Malatya, eastern Turkey... READ THIS STORY

 

Image courtesy of CSW-UKSUDAN | No New Church Licences Will be Issued     4.18.13

Sudan’s Minister of Guidance and Endowments, Al-Fatih Taj El-sir, announced on April 17 that no new licenses for building churches will be issued... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKGLOBAL | Alliance Expresses Concern About Syrian Crisis     4.17.13

On April 15, religious liberty organizations united under the Religious Liberty Partnership (RLP) released a statement on the crisis in Syria, asking the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKEGYPT | Copts Arrested Following Attack on Cathedral     4.12.13

Egyptian authorities have arrested four Coptic men who were present in St. Mark’s Cathedral when it was attacked last weekend... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKTURKEY | CSW Calls on Turkish Government to Protect Malatya Lawyer     4.11.13

CSW is calling the Turkish government to offer protection to Mr. Erdal Dogan, a human rights defender who has received death threats as a result of his work as legal counsel for the victims in the trial concerning the killing of three Christians on April 18, 2007 ... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKVIETNAM | Fresh Reports Shed Light on Church Leader’s Death     4.10.13

Christian Solidarity Worldwide has received new information concerning the circumstances surrounding the death of Vietnamese church leader Hoang Van Ngai ... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKEGYPT | Siege on Coptic Cathedral Highlights Escalating Sectarian Violence   4.8.13

At least two people were killed and over 90 injured April 7 during a siege on St. Mark’s Coptic Cathedral in Abbasiya, Cairo, in the aftermath of a funeral for four Coptic men... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKLAOS | Three Pastors Released From Prison     4.8.13

Three Lao Christian pastors arrested Feb. 5, 2013 on charges of “spreading the Christian religion,” related to reproducing a DVD of a Christian film, have been released from prison... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKCUBA | Report Finds Political Crackdown on Religious Freedom Intensifies     4.3.13

Events in the first quarter of 2013 point to an ongoing trend of a broader political crackdown on religious freedom in Cuba, while reported violations tripled in 2012... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKVIETNAM | Concerns After Christian Leader Dies in Custody     4.2.13

A Vietnamese church leader reportedly died in police custody on March 17 after being severely beaten and possibly electrocuted... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKNIGERIA | At Least 80 Die In Armed Attacks During Easter Week     4.2.13

At least 19 people were killed, an unknown number injured and an estimated 4,000 displaced when armed Fulanis attacked Mafang and Zilang villages in Kaura Local Government Area... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKBURMA | CSW Urges Burmese Government to End Rising Intolerance     3.23.13

Christian Solidarity Worldwide is deeply concerned about a dramatic increase in religious intolerance in Burma, illustrated most dramatically in the recent crisis in the central Burmese town of Meiktilar... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKCHINA | Buddhist Leader Faces Exorbitant Fine     3.22.13

Chinese Buddhist leader Wu Zeheng has been ordered to pay a fine of 2.5 million yuan (approximately $344,000) in relation to his conviction for “economic crimes” in 2000, three years after he completed his 10-year prison sentence... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKBURMA | CSW, CHRO in Major Push for Ethnic Rights     3.22.13

Christian Solidarity Worldwide and the Chin Human Rights Organization called on the international community to push ethnic and religious minority rights higher up the reforms agenda for Burma... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKNORTH KOREA | UN Human Rights Council Approves Groundbreaking Inquiry     3.21.13

The United Nations Human Rights Council today adopted a historic resolution establishing a Commission of Inquiry “to investigate the systematic, widespread and grave violations of human rights” in North Korea... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKCUBA | Church Closed; Pastor Attacked in Havana Province     3.13.13

Christian Solidarity Worldwide has learned that the Full Gospel Church was forcibly closed in Havana Province at the end of February, leaving more than 200 people without a place of worship... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKIRAN | Five Christians Receive Exorbitant Bail Demands     3.12.13

Five members of the Church of Iran denomination appeared before a judge at the 14th Branch of the Revolutionary Court in Shiraz, Fars Province on March 10 and were handed exorbitant bail terms... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKPAKISTAN | Blasphemy Accusation Triggers Burning of Homes in Lahore     3.9.13

As many as 100 properties are said to have been burnt on March 9 as a mob of thousands targeted the Christian-majority area of Joseph Colony, Badami Bagh, Lahore... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKIRAN | Pastor Nadarkhani Still Alive     3.8.13

Christian Solidarity Worldwide is refuting claims that Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani has been executed in Iran... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKCUBA | CSW Commends Courage of Ladies in White     3.8.13

On International Women’s Day, Christian Solidarity Worldwide commends the courage of the Ladies in White, the Cuban women’s non-violent protest movement... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKIRAN | Five Church of Iran Members to Face Trial on Political Charges     3.7.13

Christian Solidarity Worldwide has learned that the trial of five members of the Church of Iran denomination, who have been detained since Oct. 12, 2012, will begin at the Revolutionary Court in Shiraz, Fars Province, on March 10... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKBURMA | Day of Prayer to be Addressed by Pro-Democracy Leader     3.7.13

One of Burma’s most respected leaders of the pro-democracy movement, Patron of the National League for Democracy (NLD) U Tin Oo, will be among the speakers at the Burma Day of Prayer, hosted by Christian Solidarity Worldwide in London on March 9... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKIRAN | Pastor Irani Still in Need of Medical Assistance     2.27.13

Christian Solidarity Worldwide has learned that Pastor Benham Irani, currently held in Ghezal Hesar prison in Iran, is now unable to walk and that medical assistance continues to be withheld despite his deteriorating health... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKNIGERIA | Sixteen Die in Weekend Attacks     2.25.13

Six people died and many others were injured when unknown gunmen attacked Aduwan Gida Village in the Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Southern Kaduna during the evening of Feb. 23... READ THIS STORY

 

Image courtesy of CSW-UKSUDAN | Sudanese Government Detains Over 50 Christians     2.20.13

Christian Solidarity Worldwide has learned that at least 55 Christians have been detained by the Sudanese government for approximately two weeks without charge... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKLAOS | Police Arrest Three Pastors     2.8.13

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has learned that three Christian pastors in Laos have been arrested and detained for “spreading the Christian religion” by reproducing a DVD of a Christian film... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKVIETNAM | Father Nguyen Van Ly, the Most Venerable Thich Quang Do Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize     2.6.13

Father Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly, a 65 year-old Catholic priest, and the Most Venerable Thich Quang Do, Patriarch of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) , have been nominated for the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKEGYPT | Two Copts Sentenced to Three Years Imprisonment for Gun Theft     2.6.13

The North Cairo Criminal Court sentenced two Copts, Maikel Adel Naguib Farag and Maikel Mossad Shaker, to three years imprisonment on Feb. 4 for stealing a machine gun from the armed forces during the violence of Oct. 9, 2011, when the Egyptian military attacked a peaceful civil rights demonstration... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKCUBA | Pastor Gude Perez, Family Arrive in USA as Refugees    2.1.13

Pastor Omar Gude Perez, his wife Kenia Denis and their two children arrived in the United States as refugees Jan. 31. They were finally granted permission by Cuban emigration authorities to leave the island following an 18-month wait... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKBURMA | Letter to EU Foreign Policy Chief on Violations in Burma Welcomed     2.1.13

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) and the Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) today warmly welcomed a letter sent by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKIRAN | Iranian-American Pastor Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison   1.28.13

Saeed Abedinigalangashi, a convert to Christianity with dual United States/Iranian nationality, was sentenced to eight years in prison on Jan. 27 for “actions against the national security of Iran.”... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKEGYPT | Renewed Calls for Justice, Equality on Anniversary of Uprising   1.25.13

The wife of imprisoned Christian and former house church leader Uyghur Alimujiang Yimiti (also known as Alimjan Himit/Yimit) has been informed by the prison authorities that her monthly visits are being reduced to one visit every three months... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKCHINA | Imprisoned Christian Sees Family Visits Cut   1.25.13

The wife of imprisoned Christian and former house church leader Uyghur Alimujiang Yimiti (also known as Alimjan Himit/Yimit) has been informed by the prison authorities that her monthly visits are being reduced to one visit every three months... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKCHINA | Gao Zhisheng’s Family Members Allowed Prison Visit    1.23.13

The younger brother and father-in-law of Christian human rights lawyer, Gao Zhisheng, were allowed to visit him at Shaya Prison in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on Jan. 12, the first family visit he has received since March 2012...   READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKNORTH KOREA | UK Parliamentarians Call For UN Commission of Inquiry Into Crimes Against Humanity     1.22.13

Members of the House of Lords debated the security, humanitarian and human rights situation in North Korea on Jan. 21 and called on the United Kingdom to support...   READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKSUDAN | Government Arrests Opposition Politicians  1.18.13

The Sudanese government has arrested six politicians in response to the signing, by political and military opposition groups, of a charter advocating regime change, the institution of a democratic and pluralistic federal system...   READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKEGYPT | Coptic Church Building Destroyed      1.17.13

A building in a village southwest of Cairo that was housing a reception hall and nursery was destroyed Jan. 16 by a mob following a rumor that it was a church...   READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKPAKISTAN | Supreme Court Brings Rimsha Masih Case to a Close       1.16.13

Pakistan’s Supreme Court dismissed a final attempt to reopen Rimsha Masih’s blasphemy case, bringing a close to the legal proceedings on the matter on Jan. 15...   READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKCUBA | Government Refuses to Release Church Funds  1.15.13

Church leaders in the Cuban city of Santa Clara have condemned the Cuban government’s refusal to allow Trinidad First Baptist Church access to its bank account. The accounts for the historic local church, with funds amounting to approximately $27,000... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKNORTH KOREA | CSW Welcomes UN's Support for International Inquiry   1.15.13

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, on Jan. 14, called for an international inquiry into serious human rights violations in North Korea, stressing that concerns about the country’s nuclear program must not be allowed... READ THIS STORY 

 Image courtesy of CSW-UKBURMA | CSW Calls for International Action to Stop Attacks In Kachin State   1.14.13 Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has called for international action following the Burma Army’s bombardment of Laiza, on the China-Burma border, in which three civilians, including a 76 year-old Christian pastor and a 15 year-old boy, were killed... READ THIS STORY

Image courtesy of CSW-UKLAOS | CSW Writes Open Letter About ‘Disappeared’ Christian Family     1.11.13 Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has written an open letter to President Choummaly Sayasone of the People's Democratic Republic of Laos urgently requesting information about the family of Mr. Boontheong of Luang Namtha Province...    READ THIS STORY