Azerbaijani Baptists win appeal
Two Baptists in Azerbaijan’s north-eastern Zakatala district, Pastor Zaur Balaev and Hinayat Shabanova, have had fines for participating in unregistered religious meetings overturned on appeal.
Catching Our Eye
Hard labour for US citizen
North Korea has sentenced an American-Korean Christian to 15 years hard labour for ‘anti-government crimes’.
Malaysia elections too close to call
The general elections taking place in Malaysia on Sunday are expected to be the closest in the nation’s history and religion is playing a major role.
Iranian website ‘hacked’ again
Mohabat News, a website for Christians in Iran, claims “cyber hackers hired by the Islamic regime of Iran” hacked the site on a number of occasions, leaving its readers unable to view content. The website published a note, apologising for interruptions to its service and labelling the hacking a “cyber-crime” . . . Read More
Iraq’s children ‘neglected’
UK charity War Child has called the situation of children in Iraq “one of the world’s most neglected crises”.
Bishop’s death divides Catholic Church
The 96-year-old Chinese Catholic bishop described as the “most powerful above-ground bishop” (in contrast to the “underground” Catholic Church that follows the Vatican), Aloysius Jin Luxian, died on Saturday. Jin spent almost three decades in detention for his faith, then led the state-run Catholic Church in Shanghai from 1985. Thaddeus . . . Read More
Indonesian pastor freed
Pastor Bernard Maukar has been released from prison. The Indonesia Pentecostal Church leader from Mekargalih village in West Java was jailed for three months in January for operating a church without a permit. Maukar denied the charges against him, but later told Open Doors International – an organisation that supports . . . Read More
Archbishop’s life ‘under threat’
Kidnapped archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim is reported to be without access to prescribed medication vital for his health. The Syrian Orthodox archbishop for Aleppo, who was kidnapped alongside his Greek Orthodox counterpart Boulos Yazigi, takes regular medication for high blood pressure and diabetes. A spokesperson from the Greek Orthodox Church in . . . Read More
A little consistency, please
“It was only a few months ago that the government said quite plainly that it would, when looking at its aid budget, take cognisance of whether a country had a record of persecuting or of tolerating homosexuals. “Now if it can do it for those groups it can do it . . . Read More
Kidnapped archbishops ‘not’ released
Confusion surrounds the whereabouts of two Orthodox archbishops kidnapped on Monday and reportedly released on Tuesday. The latest reports claim the archbishops have not been released, while it remains unclear who abducted them. The archbishops’ driver, identified as a deacon, was killed, while a fourth passenger escaped. Yohanna Ibrahim and Boulos . . . Read More