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Ramesh Kumar was detained for blasphemy.

On May 27, 2019, authorities arrested Kumar, a veterinarian, after he was accused of using Qur'anic text to wrap his medicine deliveries. …

Sawan Masih was imprisoned and sentenced to death for blasphemy.

On March 9, 2013, authorities arrested Masih, a street sweeper, after he was accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad in a…

Shafqat Emmanuel was imprisoned and sentenced to death for blasphemy.

In July 2013, authorities arrested Emmanuel and his wife, Shagufta Kausar, for allegedly sending blasphemous texts.…

Shagufta Kausar was imprisoned and sentenced to death for blasphemy.

In July 2013, authorities Kausar and her husband, Shafqat Emmanuel, for allegedly sending blasphemous texts.  The…

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. …

Patras Masih was detained for blasphemy.

On February 19, 2018, authorities arrested Masih after he was accused of posting a perceived-blasphemous image on Facebook a few days before.…

Notan Lal was imprisoned for blasphemy.

On September 15, 2019, authorities arrested Lal, the owner and principal of a private…

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,…

Imran Ghafur Masih was imprisoned for blasphemy.

On July 1, 2009, authorities arrested Masih after he was accused of burning a Qur'an.  Following the accusation, a mob attacked Masih…

Zafar Bhatti was imprisoned and sentenced to death for blasphemy.

On July 22, 2012, authorities arrested Bhatti, a pastor, after he was accused of sending text messages insulting the Prophet…

Humayun Faisal was detained for blasphemy.

On May 24, 2015, authorities arrested Faisal after he was accused of burning newspapers containing Qur'anic texts on them. Faisal was reportedly…

Nabeel Masih was imprisoned for blasphemy.

On September 18, 2016, authorities arrested Masih - a minor at the time - after he was accused of posting content on Facebook insulting the Kaaba.…

Asif Stephen was detained for blasphemy. 

On August 12, 2017, authorities arrested Stephen - a minor at the time - after he was accused of burning pages of the Qur'an.  A mob…

Stephen Masih was detained for blasphemy.

In March 2019, authorities arrested Masih after he was accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad.  According to reports, the accusation…

Saleem Masih was detained for blasphemy.

On June 15, 2019, authorities arrested Masih after a relative accused him of burning pages of the Qur'an.  He was reportedly charged with "…

Shahbaz Masih was detained for blasphemy.

On December 27, 2019, authorities arrested Masih and his friend, Muhammad Ishaq, and charged them with "desecrating the Qur'an" (Sec. 295-B PPC).…

Mubashar Ahmad was imprisoned and sentenced to death for blasphemy-related offenses.

On May 13, 2014, authorities arrested Ahmad alongside three others for allegedly tearing down…

Ehsan Ahmad was imprisoned for blasphemy.

On May 13, 2014, authorities arrested Ahmad alongside three others after they were accused of tearing down posters containing religious…

Sajjad Masih Gill was imprisoned and sentenced to death for blasphemy.

On an unspecified date, authorities arrested Gill, a member of the Seventh-day Adventist community, after he was…

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…

Ghulam Ahmad was imprisoned and sentenced to death for blasphemy-related offenses.

On May 13, 2014, authorities arrested Ahmad alongside three others after they were accused of tearing…

Muhammad Ishaq was detained for blasphemy.

On December 27, 2019, authorities arrested Ishaq and his friend, Shahbaz Masih, and charged them with "desecrating the Qur'an" (Sec. 295-B PPC).…

Raja Waris was detained for alleged blasphemy.

In December 2020, authorities arrested Waris, a pastor, after he was accused of committing blasphemy on Facebook. They charged him with "…

Salamat Mansha Masih was detained for blasphemy.

On February 13, 2021, authorities arrested Masih and charged him with "intending to outrage religious feelings" (Sec. 295-A PPC), "…

Danish Ali was detained for blasphemy.

On an unspecified date, authorities arrested Ali after he was accused of insulting to the Qur’an and the Prophet Muhammad during an argument with his…

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…

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. …

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…

Ali Ahmed Tariq was detained for blasphemy.

On April 27, 2023, police arrested Tariq, a lawyer, after receiving a complaint that he used the name "Syed" …

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…

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…

Raja Amir was detained for blasphemy.

In August 2023, police arrested Amir after rumors circulated alleging that he and his brother tore pages from a Quran and wrote derogatory comments on…

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…

Marcos Sergio Hernández Jirón was imprisoned for his religious affiliation and religious leadership role.

In December 2023, Nicaraguan police arrested Jirón, a pastor with the Puerta…

Harry Lening Rios Bravo was imprisoned for his religious affiliation and religious leadership role.

In December 2023, Nicaraguan police arrested Bravo, a pastor with the Puerta de la…

Manuel de Jesús Ríos Flores was imprisoned for his religious affiliation and religious leadership role.

In December 2023, Nicaraguan police arrested Flores, a pastor with the Puerta…

José Luis Orozco Urrutia was imprisoned for his religious affiliation and religious leadership role.

In December 2023, Nicaraguan police arrested Urrutia, a pastor with the Puerta de…

Álvaro Daniel Escobar Cabrera was imprisoned for his religious affiliation and religious leadership role.

In December 2023, Nicaraguan police arrested Cabrera, a pastor with the…

Juan Carlos Chavarría Zapata was imprisoned for his religious affiliation and religious leadership role.

In December 2023, Nicaraguan police arrested Zapata, a pastor with the Puerta…

Juan Luis Moncada was imprisoned for his religious affiliation and religious leadership role.

In December 2023, Nicaraguan police arrested Moncada, a pastor with the Puerta de la…

Orvin Alexis Moncada Castellano was imprisoned for his religious affiliation and religious leadership role.

In December 2023, Nicaraguan police arrested Castellano, a pastor with the…

César Facundo Burgalin Miranda was imprisoned for his religious affiliation and religious leadership role.

In December 2023, Nicaraguan police arrested Miranda, a pastor with the…

Walner Omier Blandón Ochoa was imprisoned for his religious affiliation and religious leadership role.

In December 2023, Nicaraguan police arrested Ochoa, a pastor with the Puerta de…

Marisela de Fátima Mejía Ruiz was imprisoned for her religious affiliation and religious leadership role.

In December 2023, Nicaraguan police arrested Ruiz, a pastor with the Puerta…

Freddy Quezada was imprisoned for criticizing religious freedom conditions.

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

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,…