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Yahaya Sharif-Aminu is imprisoned for his religious expression. 

In March 2020, authorities arrested Sharif-Aminu, a musician and follower of the Sufi Tijaniyyah Order, for allegedly…

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…

Lisdiani Rodríguez Isaac was imprisoned in relation to her religious identity and activity.

On July 15, 2021, authorities detained Isaac, a member of the Free Yoruba Association of…

Lisdani Rodríguez Isaac was imprisoned in relation to her religious identity and activity.

On July 15, 2021, authorities detained Isaac, a member of the Free Yoruba Association…

Donaida Pérez Paseiro is imprisoned for her religious leadership.

On July 16, 2021, Cuban authorities arrested Paseiro, the president of the Free Yoruba Association of Cuba, an independent…

Loreto Hernández García is imprisoned for his religious leadership.

On July 16, 2021, Cuban authorities arrested Paseiro, the president of the Free Yoruba Association of Cuba, an independent…

Elizabeth Cintra García was imprisoned in relation to her religious identity and activity.

On July 15, 2021, authorities detained García, a member of the Free Yoruba Association of…

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…

Sheikh Abduljabar Nasiru Kabara is imprisoned for blasphemy.

In July 2021, authorities arrested Kabara, a cleric, and charged him with blasphemy and incitement for his allegedly “defamatory…

Abdulazeez Inyass is imprisoned for blasphemy.

In May 2015, Nigerian authorities arrested Inyass for allegedly saying that Sheikh Ibrahim Niasse, the founder of the Tijaniya order 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…

Isma’ila Sani Isah is detained for blasphemy.

In July 2021, authorities arrested Isah in Sokoto State after he was accused of making blasphemous posts against the Prophet Muhammad on…

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…

Rhoda Jatau was detained for blasphemy.

On May 20, 2022, authorities in Bauchi state arrested Jatau after riots broke out in response to a perceived blasphemous message she sent on…

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. …

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…

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…

Bladimir Pallés is imprisoned for his religious association.

In 2023, Nicaraguan authorities detained Pallés, a former employee of the Catholic charity Caritas in the Diocese of Estelí.…

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…

Ervin López is detained for his religious activity and leadership role.

In December 2023, Nicaraguan authorities arrested López, a priest from the Diocese of León. His arrest came…

Francisco Odorico Castilblanco is detained for his religious belief and religious activity.

On January 2, 2024, the Nicaraguan authorities arrested Castilblanco, a seminarian from 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…

María Asunción Salgado is detained for her religious activity and association.

On October 7, 2023, the Nicaraguan authorities arrested Salgado, along with Father Yesner Cipriano Pineda…

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…

Emmanuel Gutiérrez is imprisoned for his religious activity.

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

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…

Frutos Constantino Valle Salmerón is detained for his religious association and leadership role.

On July 26, 2024, Nicaraguan police arrested Salmerón, a priest and the administrator of…

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…

Raúl Francisco Villegas is detained for his religious association and leadership role.

On August 2, 2024, the authorities arrested Villegas, the parish priest of the Nuestra Señora de…

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…