Raif Badawi was imprisoned for his religious freedom advoacy, expression about religion, and for criticizing religious authorities.

In June 2012, authorities arrested Badawi, a…

Nguyen Bac Truyen was imprisoned for his religious freedom and human rights advocacy.

On July 30, 2017, Truyen, a lawyer and leader of…

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 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…

Merdan Seyitahun is imprisoned for his ethnoreligious identity and for teaching religion.

On April 14, 2008, Ghulja county police detained 12 Uyghur men, including Seyitakhun,…

Seydehmet Awut was imprisoned for his ethnoreligious identity and for teaching religion.

On April 14, 2008, Ghulja county police detained 12 Uyghur men, including Awut, reportedly for…

Erkin Emet was imprisoned for his ethnoreligious identity and for teaching religion.

On April 14, 2008, Ghulja county police detained 12 Uyghur men, including Emet, reportedly for teaching…

Abdujelil Abdughopur was imprisoned for his ethnoreligious identity and for teaching religion.

On April 14, 2008, Ghulja county police detained 12 Uyghur men, including …

Abdulitip Ablimit was imprisoned for his ethnoreligious identity and for teaching religion.

On June 5, 2008, Ghulja county police detained 12 Uyghur men, including Ablimit,…

Mewlanjan Ehmet was imprisoned for his ethnoreligious identity and for teaching religion.

On March 29, 2008, Ghulja county police detained 12 Uyghur men, including Ehmet, reportedly for…

Dolqun Erkin was imprisoned for his ethnoreligious identity and for teaching religion.

On April 16, 2008, Ghulja county police detained 12 Uyghur men, including Erkin, reportedly for…

Omerjan Memet was imprisoned for his ethnoreligious identity and for teaching religion.

On May 7, 2008, Ghulja county police detained 12 Uyghur men, including Memet, reportedly for…

Mutellip Rozi was imprisoned for his ethnoreligious identity and for teaching religion.

On April 16, 2008, Ghulja county police detained 12 Uyghur men, including Rozi, reportedly…

Mehmud Muhemmet was detained for his ethnoreligious identity and religious education. 

In late 2017, authorities detained Muhemmet, a farmer from Turpan, reportedly for "illegally'…

Shireli Memeteli is imprisoned for his ethnoreligious identity.

In November 2018, authorities detained Memeteli, a taxi driver, reportedly for transporting a religious figure and receiving…

Mutellip Memet is detained for his religious activity and ethnoreligious identity.

On October 3, 2017, authorities reportedly detained Memet for illegally studying scripture. Memet was…

Adil Osman is detained for his religious activity and ethnoreligious identity.

On October 9, 2017, authorities reportedly detained Osman for illegally studying scripture. Osman was sent to…

Ekber Memet is detained for his religious activity and ethnoreligious identity. 

On October 9, 2017, authorities reportedly detained Memet for illegally studying scripture. Memet…

Kerim Tohti is detained for his religious activity and ethnoreligious identity.

In September 2017, authorities reportedly detained Tohti for illegally studying scripture. He was sent to…

Mehmut Eli is detained for his religious activity and ethnoreligious identity.

On May 6, 2017, authorities reportedly detained Eli for illegally studying scripture. Eli was sent to…

Memet Sadir is detained for his religious activity and ethnoreligious identity.

On May 6, 2017, authorities reportedly detained Sadir for illegally studying scripture. Sadir was sent to…

Nureli Sidiq is detained for his religious activity and ethnoreligious identity.

On May 6, 2017, authorities reportedly detained Sidiq for illegally studying scripture. He was sent to…

Abdusemet Imin is detained for his religious activity and ethnoreligious identity. 

On October 7, 2017, authorities reportedly detained Imin for illegally studying scripture. Imin was…

Emer Mehmut is detained for his religious activity and ethnoreligious identity. 

On October 21, 2017, authorities reportedly detained Mehmut for illegally studying scripture. Mehmut…

Adil Tursun is detained for his religious activity and ethnoreligious identity.

On October 24, 2017, authorities reportedly detained Tursun for illegally studying scripture. Tursun was…

Abdulla Emer is detained for his religious activity and ethnoreligious identity. 

On October 24, 2017, authorities reportedly detained Emer for illegally studying scripture. Emer…

Turghun Tursun is detained for his religious activity and ethnoreligious identity.

On October 24, 2017, authorities reportedly detained Tursun for illegally studying scripture. Tursun was…

Ablikim Tursun is detained for his religious activity and ethnoreligious identity. 

On October 24, 2017, authorities reportedly detained Tursun for illegally studying scripture.…

Sattar Abliz is detained for his religious activity and ethnoreligious identity.

On October 8, 2017, authorities reportedly detained Abliz for illegally studying scripture. He was sent to…

Tursunbaqi Tursuntohti is detained for his religious activity and ethnoreligious identity. 

On May 27, 2018, Tursuntohti was sent to Qaraqash No. 4 Camp, reportedly for…

Rozimemet Tohtimemet is detained in relation to religious instruction.

On May 19, 2018, Tohtimemet was sent to Qaraqash No. 4 Camp reportedly for sending his daughter to learn…

Jimmy Lai's imprisonment inhibits religious freedom advocacy.

On August 10, 2020, Lai, a media mogul, democracy activist, and advocate of religious freedom, was arrested from his home in…

Merdan Helil is detained for his religious activity and ethnoreligious identity.

In 2018, authorities in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) detained Helil and sent him to a "…

Helil Hashim is imprisoned for his ethnoreligious identity.

In 2018, authorities in Ghulja (Yining) city, Ili (Yili) Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (…

Nurmemet Hajim is detained for his ethnoreligious identity.

In December 2017, authorities in Beijing detained Haijm, who had studied at an Urumqi Islamic institute and abroad in Egypt…

Kadyr Yusupov was mistreated in prison for fighting for prisoner religious freedom rights and his religious activity. 

In or around December 2018, authorities arrested Yusupov, who…

Suleiman Bouhafs was imprisoned for his alleged expression about religion.

On August 25, 2021, three men in a black vehicle abducted Bouhafs –  Chairman of the St. Augustine…

Ramy Kamel was detained for his civil rights work and religious freedom advocacy.

On November 23, 2019, security forces arrested Kamel, a human rights activist and founder of the…

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…

Ashin Sobitha is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy.

On February 1, 2021, military forces detained Sobitha, a monk known for opposing religious nationalism in Burma.…

Shwe Nya War was detained in relation to his religious freedom advocacy.

On February 1, 2021, military forces detained War, a monk, following the military’s overthrow of the…

Gyaltsen was imprisoned for protesting religious freedom conditions.

On March 15, 2008, public security officials in Sangye (Samye) township, Zhanang (Dranang) county, Shannan (Lhokha)…

Tenzin Buchung was imprisoned for protesting religious freedom conditions.

On March 15, 2008, public security officials in Sangye (Samye) township, Zhanang (Dranang) county, Shannan (…

Saman Ostovar is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On July 31, 2022, security forces arrested Ostovar in Karaj after raiding his home.

On December 13,…

Afif Naeimi is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On July 31, 2022, security forces arrested Naeimi in Karaj after raiding his home.

On December 13, 2022,…

Dmitriy Dolzhikov is detained for his religious belief and activity.

On September 8 2022, authorities in Chelyabinsk arrested Dolzhikov after raiding the homes of several Jehovah's…

Vasiliy Meleshko is imprisoned for his religious activity.

On August 11, 2021, the Abinsky District Court sentenced Meleshko to three years in prison for “participating in the…

Elshan Abbasov was imprisoned for his religious activity.

On March 3, 2022, plainclothes officers in Barda arrested Abbasov, a member of the Muslim Unity Movement (MUM).  Activists…

Shamkhal Eyvazov was detained for his religious activity.

In April 2018, customs officials arrested Eyvazov, a member of the Muslim Unity Movement (MUM), and his brother, Migdad Eyvazov,…

Kamyar Habibi is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On September 10, 2022, authorities in Karaj arrested Habibi reportedly for his being Baha'i.

On December 13…

Hkalam Samson was imprisoned for his religious activity and religious leadership role. 

On December 4, 2022, authorities arrested Samson, a pastor and advisor to the Kachin…

Abdolhamid Masoumi Tehrani was detained in relation to criticizing religious freedom conditions.

On October 16, 2022, authorities in Tehran reportedly arrested Tehrani, an ayatollah…

Tulkun Astanov is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy and for protesting religious freedom conditions.

On November 22, 2020, authorities arrested Astanov, a religious…

Alimardon Sultanov is imprisoned for criticizing religious freedom conditions. 

Mukhammadi Mukharramov is imprisoned for his religious activity and leadership role.

In 2016, authorities arrested Mukharramov, an imam, and accused him of teaching Salafism, a banned school…

Keyvan Rahimian is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity. 

On July 18, 2023, authorities in Tehran arrested Rahimian, a lecturer at an online Baha'i university, reportedly…

Bahram Saparov is imprisoned for his religious activity.

In March 2013, authorities arrested Saparov after he was accused of being "…

Anas al-Mazrou is detained for his religious freedom advocacy.

In March 2019, authorities arrested al-Mazrou, a university lecturer, for participating in a human rights panel at the…

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…

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…

Freddy Quezada was imprisoned for criticizing religious freedom conditions.

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

Mussie Ezaz is detained for his religious activity. 

In September 2007, authorities arrested Ezaz, an evangelist of 14 years and leader of the unregistered evangelical Kale Hiwot (Word…

Tekleab Mengisteab is detained for his religious activity and leadership role.

In November 2004, Eritrean police authorities arrested Mengisteab, an Eritrean Orthodox priest at the Mekane…