Soheil Arabi was detained in relation to nationwide protests against mandatory religious veiling.

On January 2, 2023, authorities in Tehran arrested Arabi from his home under unclear…

Nadeem Samson was detained for blasphemy.

On November 24, 2017, authorities arrested Samson after he was accused of committing blasphemy on Facebook following a property dispute. …

Ho Duc Hoa was imprisoned in relation to his religious activity. 

In late July/early August 2011, authorities arrested Hoa, a Catholic social activist, journalist, and community…

Maira Shahbaz was subjected to forced renunciation of faith.

In April 2020, three men abducted at gunpoint 14-year-old Maira Shahbaz, forced her to renounce her Christian faith,…

Mariyum Lal was detained for blasphemy.

On April 9, 2021, authorities arrested Lal, who is a nurse, and her coworker, Newsh Arooj, after an incident at their workplace. According to…

Newsh Arooj was detained for blasphemy.

On April 9, 2021, authorities arrested Arooj, who is a nurse, and her coworker, Mariyum Lal, after an incident at their workplace. According to…

Luka Binniyat was detained for his reporting on religious groups and religious freedom conditions. 

On November 4, 2021, authorities arrested Binniyat, a journalist for the Epoch…

Kishor Ram was detained for reporting on religious freedom conditions.

On February 24, 2022, authorities arrested Ram, who is a member of the Dalit community and a journalist known for…

Apollinaris Darmawan was imprisoned for his religious expression.

In August 2020, Bandung police arrested Darmawan after he was accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad and Islam on social…

Saba Kord Afshari was imprisoned for her women’s rights activism against compulsory religious veiling.

In June 2019, authorities arrested Afshari for protesting compulsory hijab after a…

Mahesh Raut was detained for his human rights and civil rights work for marginalized religious communities.

On June 6, 2018, police in Maharashtra arrested…

Sudhir Dhawale was detained for his human rights and civil rights work for marginalized religious communities.

On June 6, 2018, police in Maharashtra arrested…

Anand Teltumbde was detained for his human rights and civil rights work for marginalized religious communities.

On April 14, 2020, Teltumbde, a scholar and…

Sagar Tatyarao Gorakhe was detained for his human rights and civil rights work for marginalized religious communities.

On September 7, 2020, the National…

Ramesh Murlidhar Gaichor was detained for his human rights and civil rights work for marginalized religious communities.

On September 7, 2020, the National…

Asmaa al-Subaie is detained for her women’s rights activism critical of state-imposed religious systems.

In June 2021, authorities affiliated with the Presidency of State Security arrested…

Soori Babaei Chegini was detained for protesting religious freedom conditions.

On July 13, 2022, authorities arrested Chegini from her brother's home in Qazvin after she posted a…

Melika Qaragozlu was detained in relation to protesting religious freedom conditions.

On July 13, 2022, authorities arrested Qaragozlu, a student activist, reportedly after she…

Sepideh Rashnu was detained for resisting state-imposed religious dress.

On July 16, 2022, authorities arrested Rashnu following an altercation on a bus between a woman, who was…

Zahra Sedighi-Hamadani was imprisoned for her human rights work in support of the LGBTQI+ community.

On October 27, 2021, authorities detained Sedighi-Hamadani in Urumieh,…

Gokarakonda Naga Saibaba was imprisoned for criticizing state violence against religious and marginalized communities. 

On May 9, 2014, plain clothed police officers in Delhi arrested…

Teesta Setalvad was detained for her human rights work supporting minority religious communities. 

On June 25, 2022, an antiterrorism squad in Mumbai arrested Setalvad, a human rights…

Rolando Álvarez was imprisoned for criticizing religious freedom conditions.

On August 4, 2022, police prevented Álvarez, bishop of the Matagalpa diocese, from leaving his home to perform…

Ramiro Tijerino was imprisoned in relation to criticism of religious freedom conditions.

On August 4, 2022, police prevented several people, including Tijerino, a priest, from leaving the…

Sadiel Eugarrios was imprisoned in relation to criticism of religious freedom conditions.

On August 4, 2022, police prevented several people, including Eugarrios, a priest, from leaving…

Raúl Antonio Vega was imprisoned in relation to criticism of religious freedom conditions.

On August 4, 2022, police prevented several people, including Antonio Vega, a deacon, from…

José Luis Díaz was imprisoned in relation to criticism of religious freedom conditions.

On August 4, 2022, police prevented several people, including Luis Díaz, a priest, from leaving the…

Darvin Leiva was imprisoned in relation to criticism of religious freedom conditions.

On August 4, 2022, police prevented several people, including Leiva, a seminarian, from leaving…

Melkin Sequeira was imprisoned in relation to criticism of religious freedom conditions.

On August 4, 2022, police prevented several people, including Sequeira, a seminarian, from leaving…

Sergio Cárdenas was imprisoned in relation to criticism of religious freedom conditions.

On August 4, 2022, police prevented several people, including Cárdenas, a cameraman, from…

Atash Shahkarami was detained for speaking out about the disappearance and murder of an anti-hijab protester.

On October 2, 2022, security forces arrested Shahkarami after she spoke with…

Roy Suryo was imprisoned for blasphemy.

On August 5, 2022, police arrested Suryo, the former Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs, for tweeting out an image of President Joko…

Fikremariam Hagos Tsalim was detained in relation to his religious leadership role and religious expression.

On October 15, 2022, authorities arrested Tsalim, the Catholic bishop of…

Mihretab Stefanos was detained in relation to his religious leadership role and religious expression.

On October 11, 2022, authorities arrested, Stefanos, the priest of St.…

Abraham Habtom Gebremariam was detained in relation to his religious leadership role and religious expression.

In October 2022, authorities arrested Gebremariam, a Capuchin abbot. …

Ivan Levitsky was detained for his religious leadership role.

In November 2022, Russian forces in Berdiansk, Zaporizhzhia oblast, Ukraine, reportedly abducted hieromonk …

Bohdan Geleta was detained for his religious leadership role.

In November 2022, Russian forces in Berdiansk, Zaporizhzhia oblast, Ukraine, reportedly abducted Geleta, a priest…

Enrique Martínez was detained for his religious leadership role.

On October 13, 2022, authorities reportedly violently arrested Martínez, the parish priest of St. Martha’s Church in…

Oscar Benavidez was imprisoned for criticizing religious freedom conditions.

On August 14, 2022, authorities reportedly arrested Benavidez, a priest, after he performed mass. …

Sara Mottaghi is detained for blasphemy.

On January 15, 2023, Iranian authorities raided the home of Mattaghi, a poet, for writing about an ancient Iranian day celebrating women. After…

Anwar Kenneth was imprisoned and sentenced to death for blasphemy.

In 2001, authorities reportedly arrested Kenneth after he was accused of writing letters perceived as blasphemous towards…

Jaime Iván Montesinos Sauceda was detained in relation to criticism of religious freedom conditions.

On May 23, 2023, police arrested Montesinos Sauceda, the parish priest of San Juan…

Eugenio Rodríguez Benavides is detained in relation to his religious beliefs and activities. 

On May 20, 2023, police arrested Rodríguez Benavides, parish priest of Divina…

Leonardo Guevara Gutiérrez was detained in relation to his religious beliefs and activities. 

On May 22, 2023, police arrested Guevara Gutiérrez, parish priest of Estelí…

Victor Ticay was imprisoned for covering religious issues.

On April 6, 2023, police arrested and detained Ticay, a journalist, for recording a banned Easter celebration in Nandaime and…

Nathasha Edirisooriya was detained for blasphemy.

On May 27, 2023, police arrested and detained Edirisooriya after receiving a complaint that she made jokes insulting to Buddhism and…

Ahmed Mohamed was detained for blasphemy.

On May 9, 2022, security officials arrested Mohamed at his home in a village in the Fayoum Governorate. He reportedly remained forcibly disappeared…

Fernando Zamora Silva was detained for his religious belief and activity. 

On July 9, 2023, police detained Zamora Silva, a Catholic priest and the chancellor of the Diocese of Siuna…

Adela Tercero was detained in relation to a crackdown on religious institutions.

On August 19, 2023, police detained Tercero, who was a student leader at the Jesuit Central American…

Gabriela Morales was detained in relation to a crackdown on religious institutions.

On August 19, 2023, police detained Morales, who was a student at the Jesuit Juan Pablo II University.…

Osman José Amador Guillén is detained for his religious activity and belief.

On September 8, 2023, police arrested Amador, a parish priest in Wiwilí, late at night while he was…

Julio Ricardo Norori is detained for his religious belief, religious activity, and religious leadership role.

On October 1, 2023, Nicaraguan authorities arrested Norori, a priest at the…

Iván Centeno is detained for his religious belief, religious activity, and religious leadership role.

On October 1, 2023, Nicaraguan authorities arrested Iván Centeno, a priest at the…

Cristóbal Gadea is detained for his religious belief, religious activity, and religious leadership role.

On October 1, 2023, Nicaraguan authorities arrested Cristóbal Gadea, a priest…

Álvaro Toledo is detained for his religious belief, religious activity, and religious leadership role.

On October 5, 2023, Nicaraguan authorities arrested Álvaro Toledo, a priest at…

Ramón Esteban Angulo Reyes is detained for his religious belief, religious activity, and religious leadership role.

On October 8, 2023, Nicaraguan authorities arrested Ramón Esteban…

Yesner Cipriano Pineda Meneses was detained for his religious belief, religious activity, and religious leadership role.

On October 7, 2023, Nicaraguan authorities arrested Yesner…

Isidro Mora was detained for criticizing religious freedom conditions and for his religious leadership role.

On December 20, 2023, Nicaraguan police arrested Mora, a bishop from the…

Óscar Escoto was detained for his religious belief and activity and his religious leadership role.

On August 4, 2022, the Nicaraguan police prevented several people, including Escoto, from…

Julio Sevilla was imprisoned for his association with a religious organization.

In 2023, Nicaraguan authorities detained Sevilla, a former employee of the Catholic charity Caritas in the…

Julio Berríos was imprisoned for his association with a religious organization.

In 2023, Nicaraguan authorities detained Berríos, a former employee of the Catholic charity Caritas in the…

María Verónica Herrera Galeano was imprisoned for her association with a religious organization.

In 2023, Nicaraguan authorities detained Galeano, a former employee of the Catholic charity…

Freydell Andino was imprisoned for their association with a religious organization.

In 2023, Nicaraguan authorities detained Andino, a former employee of the Catholic charity Caritas in…

Mariví Andino was imprisoned for their association with a religious organization.

In 2023, Nicaraguan authorities detained Andino, a former employee of the Catholic charity Caritas in the…

Pablo Villafranca was detained for his religious activity and his religious leadership role.

On December 26, 2023, Nicaraguan authorities detained Villafranca, a priest at the Parish of…

Silvio Fonseca was detained for his religious expression and his religious leadership role.

On December 29, 2023, Nicaraguan authorities arrested Silvio Fonseca, the vicar of Family, Life…

Héctor Treminio was detained for his religious leadership role.

On December 28, 2023, police arrested Treminio, parish priest of the Santo Cristo de Esquipulas Church in Managua and…

Carlos Avilés was detained for his religious leadership role.

On December 28, 2023, police arrested Avilés, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Managua and priest of Cristo de las Colinas…

Fernando Calero was detained for his religious leadership role.

On December 28, 2023, police arrested Calero, parish priest of Our Lady of Fátima in Rancho Grande, Matagalpa, after he…

Marcos Díaz Prado was detained for his religious leadership role.

On December 28, 2023, authorities arrested Díaz Prado, vicar of the Santo Tomás Apóstol church of Puerto de Corinto in…

Mykel Monterrey was detained for his religious leadership role.

On or around December 29, 2023, police arrested Monterrey, parish priest of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria parish of the…

Raúl Zamora was detained for his religious leadership role.

On or around December 29, 2023, police arrested Zamora, parish priest of Jesús de la Divina Misericordia parish of the…

Gerardo Rodríguez was detained for his religious leadership role.

On or around December 30, 2023, police arrested Rodríguez, parish priest of Purísima Concepción church in Reparto Belmonte…

Miguel Mántica was detained for his religious leadership role.

On or around December 29, 2023, police arrested Mántica, parish priest of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Bolonia, Managua,…

Jader Hernández was detained for his religious leadership role.

On or around December 29, 2023, police arrested Hernández, parish priest of the Madre del Divino Pastor parish in Nejapa,…

Ismael Serrano was detained for his religious leadership role.

On December 30, 2023, police arrested Serrano, parish priest of San Miguel Arcángel, Las Brisas, under unclear circumstances…

 José Gustavo Sandino Ochoa was detained for his religious leadership role.

On December 31, 2023, police reportedly arrested Sandino, parish priest of Our Lady of Sorrows parish in…

Alester Sáenz was detained for his religious leadership role.

On December 20, 2023, Nicaraguan police arrested Sáenz, a seminarian, alongside Bishop Isidro Mora after the bishop…

Tony Palacios was detained for his religious leadership role.

On December 20, 2023, Nicaraguan police arrested Palacios, a seminarian, alongside Bishop Isidro Mora after the…

Freylin Axarael Moreno Ponce was detained for his religious expression.

On June 2, 2023, Nicaraguan authorities arrested Moreno Ponce after he asked, on social media, for prayers for…

Salvador Paguaga was detained for his religious belief, activity, and association.

On October 7, 2023, the Nicaraguan authorities arrested Paguaga, together with Father Yesner…

Jimmy Antonio Bonilla was imprisoned because of his religious activity.

On April 5, 2023, the Nicaraguan authorities arrested Bonilla for allegedly participating in a Catholic Holy Week…

Evelyn Guillén is detained for her religious expression and religious freedom advocacy

On August 5, 2023, Nicaraguan authorities arrested Guillén after she allegedly displayed a poster…

Alex Javier Gómez Bustos was detained for his religious activity and expression.

On August 5, 2023, Nicaraguan authorities arrested Bustos and Evelyn Guillén after they allegedly…

Freddy Quezada was imprisoned for criticizing religious freedom conditions.

On November 29, 2023, the Nicaraguan authorities arrested Quezada, a professor, after he criticized the…

Oleg Orlov is imprisoned in relation to his human rights work.

On February 27, 2024, the Golovinsky District Court in Moscow sentenced Orlov, the 70-year old co-chair of the Nobel…

Carlos Alberto Bojorge Martínez was detained for his religious freedom advocacy.

On January 1, 2024, Martínez attended mass wearing a shirt that referenced the Nicaraguan government's…

Maricarmen Espinosa Segura is imprisoned for her association with Puerta de la Montaña Ministry. 

In December 2023, the Nicaraguan authorities arrested Espinosa, an attorney providing…

Harvin Tórrez was detained for his affiliation with the Catholic Church and his religious leadership role.

On August 5, 2024, the authorities arrested Tórrez, parish priest of the Santa…

Jairo Pravia Flores was detained for his affiliation with the Catholic Church and his religious leadership role.

On August 2, 2024, the authorities arrested Flores, the parish priest of…

Marlon Velásquez Flores was detained for his affiliation with the Catholic Church and his religious leadership role.

On August 2, 2024, the authorities arrested Flores, a priest as…

Silvio Josúe Romero Juárez was detained for his affiliation with the Catholic Church and his religious leadership role.

On August 1, 2024, the authorities arrested Juárez, the…

Ulises René Vega Matamoros was detained for his affiliation with the Catholic Church and his religious leadership role.

On August 1, 2024, the authorities arrested Matamoros, the…

Victor Salvador Godoy Morales was detained for his affiliation with the Catholic Church and his religious leadership role.

On August 2, 2024, the authorities arrested Morales,…

Edgar Luis Sacasa Sierra was detained for his affiliation with the Catholic Church and his religious leadership role.

On August 1, 2024, the authorities arrested Sierra, the vicar of…

Danny Garcia was detained for his affiliation with the Catholic Church and his religious leadership role.

On August 15, 2024, authorities arrested Garcia, a priest of the San Juan Bautista…

Leonel Balmaceda was detained for his affiliation with the Catholic Church and his religious leadership role.

On August 10, 2024, authorities arrested Balmaceda, parish priest of the Jesús…

Denis Martínez García was detained for his affiliation with the Catholic Church and his religious leadership role. 

On August 11, 2024, authorities arrested García, a priest and a…