UN urges Vietnam to stop ‘torture’ of Christian

The UN has criticised Vietnam’s “repeated arrest and torture” of a female Christian activist whose husband, a pastor, is in jail “for peaceful religious activities”. Tran Thi Hong was targeted for “informing the international community of human rights violations against her husband”, says a statement from the UN High Commissioner . . . Read More

Vietnam Christian woman’s ‘intolerable’ harassment

The harassment of a Vietnamese Christian human rights activist, whose husband, pastor Nguyen Cong Chinh, is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence, has become “intolerable” . Tran Thi Hong was recently questioned by the authorities about interviews with the foreign press, her “unauthorized, unapproved and illegal” Lutheran faith and her . . . Read More

US religious-freedom report urges government to add 7 countries to worst-offenders list

US religious-freedom report urges government to add 7 countries to worst-offenders list
What is happening? The primary US government agency on global religious freedom issued its annual report 2 May. It says “religious freedom abroad has been under serious and sustained assault” during the past year, and says America should add seven countries to its list of worst offenders: Central African Republic . . . Read More

Report: Christianity contracting in MidEast, Africa

Report: Christianity contracting in MidEast, Africa
Christianity is fast disappearing from entire regions, most notably a huge chunk of the Middle East, and could vanish from Iraq within five years, according to a new report by Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need. Released in the UK’s House of Lords on Tuesday, the report, “Persecuted and . . . Read More