Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Egypt
Religion or Belief: Christian – Unspecified/Other
Date of Detainment: July/1/2025
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Augustin Samaan
Extra Bio Info:
Dr. Augustin Samaan is imprisoned for his religious activity.
In October 2025, Egyptian authorities arrested Samaan, a Christian apologist, and charged him with "contempt of Islam" for his online content critical of Islam.
In January 2026, judicial authorities sentenced Samaan to five years’ imprisonment with hard labor, enforced immediately, for "contempt of religion" and "misuse of social media."
Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Russia
Religion or Belief: Christian – Protestant
Date of Detainment: October/18/2024
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Nikolay Romanyuk
Extra Bio Info:
Nikolay Romanyuk is imprisoned for his religious expression.
In October 2024, Russian authorities arrested Romanyuk for preaching an anti-war sermon in 2022.
In September 2025, authorities sentenced him to 4 years' imprisonment in a labor camp for “public calls to implement activities directed against the security of the Russian Federation" (Art. 280.4 RCC).
Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Russia
Religion or Belief: Buddhist – Unspecified/Other
Date of Detainment: June/20/2024
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment
Ilya Vasilyev
Extra Bio Info:
Ilya Vasilyev is detained for his religiously based political activity.
In June 2024, Russian authorities arrested Ilya Vasilyev for opposing the war in Ukraine on religious grounds through social media posts.
In June 2025, authorities convicted him of disseminating false information and sentenced him to 8 years' imprisonment.