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Hu Shigen was imprisoned in relation to his religious activity and religious leadership role. 

On July 10, 2015, Hu, a pro-…

Mohammad Roghangir was imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert.

in October 2012, authorities arrested Roghangir, a member of the Church of Iran, after authorities raided a…

Youcef Nadarkhani was imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert. 

On May 13, 2016, intelligence officials in Rasht…

Majid Kashan was imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert. 

On November 18, 2017, authorities arrested Kashan at a house-church. Kashan is believed to have been originally…

Kidane Weldou is detained for his religious activity and leadership role.

In March 2005, authorities forcibly disappeared Weldou from the streets of Asmara, leaving his car abandoned. Weldou…

Haile Naizghe is detained for his religious activity and leadership role.

In May 2004, authorities arrested Naizghe, a pastor of the Full Gospel Church, which was part of a network of banned…

Meron Gebreselasie is detained for his religious leadership role. 

In June 2004, authorities arrested Gebreselasie, pastor of Massawa Rhema Evangelical Church, for his leadership…

Kiflu Gebremeskel is detained for his religious activity and leadership role. 

In May 2004, Eritrean authorities arrested Gebremeskel, a pastor of the banned Southwest Full Gospel…

Bakhrom Kholmatov was imprisoned for his religious activity.

On April 10, 2017, authorities Kholmatov, pastor of the Sonmin Sonbogym (Full Gospel) Protestant Church, following a raid…

Naser Navard Goltapeh is imprisoned for his religious activity. 

In February 2025, authorities detained Goltapeh and other Christians without charge and sent him to Evin Prison. …

Ju Dianhong is imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.

In late 2016 (around September), Yunnan authorities detained Ju and several colleagues.  They were…

Liang Qin is imprisoned for her religious belief and activity. 

In late 2016 (around September), Yunnan authorities detained Liang and several colleagues.  They were…

Mohammad Ali Mosayebzadeh was imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert.

On May 13, 2016, authorities arrested Mosayebzadeh, a member of the Church of Iran, and several…

Mohammad Reza Omidi was imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert. 

On May 13, 2016, authorities arrested Omidi, a member of the Church of Iran, and several others…

Zaman Fadaei was imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert.

On May 13, 2016, authorities arrested Fadaei, a member of the Church of Iran, and several others while performing…

Ebrahim Firouzi was detained for practicing his religion as a convert. 

On February 8, 2021, authorities arrested Firouzi again after he released videos detailing the authorities'…

Mahrokh Ghanbari was imprisoned for practicing her religion as a convert.

In July 2019, authorities reportedly arrested Ghanbari. She was later released on bail.  She was reportedly…

Fatemeh Bakhtari was imprisoned for practicing her religion as a convert. 

In May 2017, authorities arrested Bakhtari and her husband, Zaman Fadaei, under unclear circumstances.…

Noman Asghar is imprisoned and sentenced to death for blasphemy.

In June 2019, authorities arrested Asghar and his friend, Sunny Mushtaq, for receiving images deemed blasphemous via WhatsApp…

Ashfaq Masih is imprisoned and sentenced to death for blasphemy.

In June 2017, authorities arrested Masih, a bicycle mechanic, following a dispute with a customer. Authorities charged Masih…

Ksor Ruk is imprisoned for his religious activity. 

On October 30, 2018, authorities arrested Ruk, a missionary and religious leader.  Authorities accused him of reviving Degar…

Siu Doang is imprisoned for his religious activity.

In 2016, authorities arrested Doang, a house-church leader, for participating in a religious group not approved by the government.…

Ro Mah Pla was imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

In 2013, authorities arrested Pla after accusing him of taking direction from Montagnards overseas to spread Degar…

Siu Dik is imprisoned for his religious activity.

In 2016, authorities arrested Dik, a deacon, for participating in a religious group not approved by the government.  Authorities…

Ksor Phit is imprisoned for his religious activity.

In 2016, authorities arrested Phit, a deacon, for participating in a religious group not approved by the government. …

Ksor Pup is imprisoned for his religious activity.

In 2016, authorities arrested Pup, a house-church leader, for participating in a religious group not approved by the government. …

A Dao was imprisoned for his religious activity and religious freedom advocacy.

On August 18, 2016, authorities arrested Dao, the pastor of the Montagnard Evangelical Church of Christ…

Y Yich was imprisoned for his religious activity.

On May 13, 2013, authorities arrested Yich, a pastor in the Degar Protestant Church, after accusing him of spreading Degar Protestantism, a…

Sung A Khua was imprisoned in relation to his religious identity. 

On January 2, 2019, Sung was sentenced to two years and two months in prison. Prior to the ruling, Sung and his…

Kamal Naamanian was imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert. 

On February 15, 2019, authorities arrested Naamanian at a house-church.  Other members of the…

Raymond Koh was forcibly disappeared for his religious activity.

On February 13, 2017, fifteen Royal Malaysian Police officers in three…

Y Pum Bya is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On April 10, 2018, Vietnamese authorities arrested Y Pum Bya, a church leader, after accusing him of spreading false…

Y Min Ksor is imprisoned for his religious activity. 

In April 2018, authorities arrested Ksor, a member of the unregistered Good News Missionary Church, during a police raid on a house…

Jang Moon Seok was imprisoned for his religious activity.

In November 2014, Seok, a deacon, was abducted and transferred from China to a prison in North Korea for his evangelism,…

Denis Rosabal was detained for his religious belief and activity.  

On August 6, 2021, authorities arrested Rosabal, a mechanic and the pianist and music director for the…

Zhao Huaiguo is detained for his religious activity.

On March 14, 2020, state security officials detained Zhao, pastor of the unregistered house church Bethel Church, from his…

Tan Defu was imprisoned for his religious belief and activity. 

On December 10, 2018, public security officials in Chengdu municipality, Sichuan province, detained Tan, an elder…

Rah Lan Hip is imprisoned for his religious activity. 

In May 2019, state media announced that authorities had arrested Hip for "undermining national unity policy" (Art. 116/2015…

Joo Gwang Ho is detained for his religious activity.

On an unspecified date, authorities in China arrested Joo Gwang Ho for his evangelism to ethnic-Chinese citizens and North Korean…

Chung Yong Cheol is imprisoned for his religious activity.

On an unspecified date, Chinese authorities arrested 77 North Koreans, including Chung Yong Cheol, for studying the Bible.

In…

Chang Man Sik is detained for his religious activity.

In July 2000, authorities in China arrested Chang Man Sik for his religious activities. Chang Man Sik had previously escaped…

Lee Soo Gil was executed for his religious activity.

In December 2001, authorities in China arrested Lee Soo Gil for evangelizing and helping North Korean refugees escape to South Korea. He…

Kpuih Khuong is imprisoned for his religious activity.

In 2014, authorities arrested Khuong, a leader in the Degar Protestant Church, after accusing him of organizing meetings in support…

Ro Ma Daih is imprisoned for his religious activity.

In September 2016, authorities arrested Daih for being affiliated with the Degar Protestant Church, a church not approved by the…

Puih Bop is imprisoned for his religious activity.

In September 2016, authorities arrested Bop for being affiliated with the Degar Protestant Church, a church not approved by the…

Ksor Kam is imprisoned for his religious activity.

In September 2016, authorities arrested Kam for being affiliated with the Degar Protestant Church, a church not approved by the…

Ro Lan Kly is imprisoned for his religious activity.

In September 2016, authorities arrested Kly for being affiliated with the Degar Protestant Church, a church not approved by the…

Dinh Nong is imprisoned for his religious activity.

In September 2016, authorities arrested Nong for being affiliated with the Degar Protestant Church, a church not approved by the…

Yarian Sierra Madrigal was under house arrest in relation to his religious leadership role.

On July 11, 2021, Madrigal, a pastor from the Berean Baptist Mission in Matanzas, was…

Yéremi Blanco Ramírez was under house arrest in relation to his religious leadership role.

On July 11, 2021, authorities detained Ramírez, a pastor from the Berean Baptist Mission in…

Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo was imprisoned in relation to his religious leadership role.

On July 11, 2021, Rosales Fajardo, pastor and leader of the Monte de Sion Independent Church in…

Jorge Naranjo was under house arrest for his religious identity. 

On July 11, 2021, authorities arrested Naranjo, a member and the administrator of the Los Pinos Nuevos First…

Ibrahim Figueredo Fonseca was imprisoned for his religious leadership role.  

On June 10, 2021, authorities detained Fonseca, a pastor from Güira de Melena, Artemisa…

Hamid Soudad was imprisoned for his expression about religion.

On January 20, 2021, Soudad was arrested for insulting Islam and the Prophet Muhammad reportedly…

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…

Behnam Akhlaghi was imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert.

On February 23, 2019, Akhlaghi was summoned to the Revolutionary Guard office and detained…

Mehdi Khatibi was imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert. 

On February 23, 2019, authorities arrested Khatibi at a house-church.  Other members of the Church of Iran…

Babak Hosseinzadeh was imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert.

On February 23, 2019, authorities arrested Hosseinzadeh while he was at a house-church.  Other members of…

Shahrooz Eslamdoust was imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert.

On February 15, 2019, authorities arrested Eslamdoust at a house-church. Other members of the Church of Iran in…

Khalil Dehghanpur was imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert. 

On January 29, 2019, authorities arrested Dehghanpur at a house-church. Other members of the Church of Iran…

Mohammed Vafadar was imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert. 

On February 15, 2019, authorities arrested Vafadar at a house-church.  Other members of the Church…

Hossein Kadivar was imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert.

On January 29, 2019, authorities arrested Kadivar at a house-church.  Other members of the Church of Iran in…

Abdolreza Ali Haghnejad is detained for practicing his religion as a convert.

On January 15, 2022, authorities reportedly arrested Haghnejad, a church leader, in Bandar Anzali for a…

Zhang Chunlei is detained for his religious activity.

On March 16, 2021, authorities detained Zhang, an elder of the Love (Ren’ai) Reformed Church, for "illegally operating as an…

Milad Goudarzi was imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert. 

In November 2020, authorities raided Goudarzi's home and confiscated his personal belongings, including…

Ameen Khaki is imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert. 

In November 2020, authorities raided Khaki's home and confiscated his personal belongings, including…

Alireza Nourmohammadi is imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert.

In November 2020, authorities raided Nourmohammadi's home and confiscated his personal belongings,…

Gao Zhisheng remains forcibly disappeared for his work defending human rights and religious minorities.

On August 13, 2017, Gao, a human rights lawyer, was forcibly disappeared from his…

Hadi Rahimi was imprisoned for practicing his faith as a convert.

On May 14, 2020, Rahimi, a member of the Church of Iran, was taken into state custody after being unable to pay bail.…

Alimujiang Yimiti was imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On January 12, 2008, authorities detained Yimiti, a house church minister, in Kashgar, Xinjiang,…

Sakineh Behjati is imprisoned for practicing her faith as a convert.

On May 14, 2020, authorities took Behjati, a member of the Church of Iran, into custody after being unable to pay…

Zhang Shaojie was imprisoned for his religious activity and leadership role.

On November 16, 2013, public security officers in Nanle county, Puyang municipality, Henan province,…

Siu Hlom was imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

In August 2010, authorities arrested Hlom after a series of protests in Gia Lai rubber plantations. Authorities accused him…

Dinh Yum is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

In 2013, authorities arrested Yum, a house church leader, after accusing him of spreading Degar Protestantism, a…

Rmah Bloanh was imprisoned for his religious belief and activity. 

In 2014, authorities arrested Bloanh after accusing him of organizing meetings to establish support for Degar…

Rmah Khil was imprisoned for his religious belief and activity. 

In 2014, authorities arrested Khil after accusing him of organizing meetings to establish support for Degar…

Y Hriam Kpa was imprisoned for his religious activity and for resisting state pressure to dissolve his church.

On July 30, 2015, authorities arrested Kpa, a house-church leader in Ea H’leo…

Rah Lan Rah is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

In December 2020, authorities arrested Rah following a crackdown on the First Christian Church, an independent house church…

Siu Chon is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

In December 2020, authorities arrested Chon following a crackdown on the First Christian Church, an independent house church.…

Ro Mah Them is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

In December 2020, authorities arrested Them following a crackdown on the First Christian Church, an independent house…

Y Tup Knul is detained for his religious belief and activity.

On October 6, 2020, authorities arrested Knul for his affiliation with the Degar Protestant Church, a religious movement not…

Wang Yi is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On December 9, 2018, authorities detained Wang, pastor of the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu and a former human…

John Cao was imprisoned because of his religious identity and missionary work.

On March 5, 2017, the Menglian County Police of Yunnan Province detained Cao, a pastor, humanitarian worker,…

Jam Singh was detained in relation to his religious belief and activity.

On December 26/27, 2021, authorities arrested Singh, who is a pastor, and two others after they were accused of…

Ansingh Ninama was detained in relation to their religious belief and activity.

On December 26/27, 2021, authorities arrested Ninama, who is a pastor, and two others after they were…

Mangu Mehtab Bhuriya was detained in relation to their religious activity. 

On December 26/27, 2021, authorities arrested Bhuriya and two others after they were accused of trying to…

Y Wo Nie is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On September 13, 2021, authorities arrested Nie, a member of an independent house church Dak Lak, for taking online…

Fariba Dalir was imprisoned for practicing her religion as a convert.

In July 2021, authorities arrested Dalir and five other converts from Islam to Christianity, including her at the time…

Li Juncai is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On February 20, 2019, authorities in Xinxiang…

Ayub Pour Rezazadeh was imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert. 

In September 2021, authorities arrested Rezazadeh, a member of the Church of Iran, and others in Rasht…

Ahmad Sarparast was imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert. 

In September 2021, authorities arrested Sarparast, a member of the Church of Iran, and others in Rasht…

Morteza Mashhood Kari was imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert. 

In September 2021, authorities arrested Kari, a member of the Church of Iran, and others in Rasht…

Joseph Shahbazian is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On June 30, 2020, authorities arrested Shahbazian, a house-church leader, following raids targeting house-churches…

Malihe Nazari was imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.

On June 30, 2020, authorities arrested Nazari following raids targeting house-churches across several cities…

Leonid Ponomaryov was disappeared for his religious beliefs and activity.

On September 21, 2022, armed men in military uniform abducted Ponomaryov, a Baptist pastor, and his wife from…

Tatyana Ponomaryov was disappeared for her religious beliefs and activity.

On September 21, 2022, armed men in military uniform abducted Ponomaryov and her husband, a Baptist pastor, from…

Mykhailo Reznikov was disappeared in relation to his religious leadership role.

On March 9, 2022, Russian military forces detained Reznikov, a Baptist pastor, in Russian-occupied Mariupol…

Artur Kozhevnikov was disappeared in relation to his religious leadership role.

On April 9, 2022, Russian military forces detained Kozhevnikov, the chairman of the Council of the German…

Valentin Zhuravlov was disappeared for his religious leadership role.

On June 18, 2022, Russian armed forces detained Zhuravlev, a Protestant pastor, in Russian-occupied Melitopol, Ukraine…

Mykhailo Britsyn was detained for his religious leadership role.

In September 2022, Russian military detained Britsyn, a pastor, in Russian-occupied Melitopol, Ukraine, during a religious…