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

In June 2012, authorities arrested Badawi, a…

Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee is imprisoned for her activism and criticism of state-endorsed religious interpretations. 

On September 26, 2022, authorities arrested Iraee from her home in…

Mohammad bin Hassan al-Habib is imprisoned for his religious expression, leadership role, and religious freedom advocacy.

In July 2016, authorities detained al-Habib, a Shi'a cleric, as he…

Ahmad al-Shamri is imprisoned and sentenced to death for blasphemy.

In 2014, authorities arrested al-Shamri, accused him of using social media to insult or renounce Islam, and charged him…

Abdul Waheed is imprisoned and sentenced to death for alleged blasphemy.

In March 2017, security services detained Waheed and held him incommunicado after he was accused of uploading "…

Mohammad Nouri is imprisoned and sentenced to death for blasphemy. 

In or around October 2015, authorities reportedly arrested Nouri after accusing him of posting anti-Islamic content…

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.…

Maruf Gul is detained for alleged blasphemy.

In September 2020, authorities arrested Gul, a Sunni Muslim, after he discussed religious…

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.…

Sohail Masih is detained for alleged blasphemy.

In August 2020, authorities arrested Masih after he was accused of posting content on Facebook deemed to be blasphemous. Authorities charged…

Stan Swamy was detained and died in state custody for his civil society work helping religious communities.

On October 8, 2020, the National Investigation Agency arrested Swamy, a Jesuit…

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…

Mohammed al-Rabiah is imprisoned for his activism against state imposed religious systems.

On May 15, 2018, authorities arrested al-Rabiah amid a statewide crackdown on women's rights…

Salekh Magamadov is imprisoned in relation to state-imposition of a particular religious interpretation. 

On February 4, 2021, Magamadov and Magamadov's sibling, Ismail Isaev, -…

Ismail Isaev is imprisoned in relation to state-imposition of a particular religious interpretation. 

On February 4, 2021, Isaev and Isaev's sibling, Salekh Magamadov, - two…

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…

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…

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 "…

Anwaar Ahmad is imprisoned for alleged blasphemy.

In 2017, authorities arrested Ahmad, a professor at the Islamabad Model College, after he was accused of committing blasphemy during a…

Mansoor Tahir Ahmad is detained for alleged blasphemy.

In March 2021, authorities arrested Ahmad after he was accused of making negative comments about a religious program. They charged…

Marco Girgis is imprisoned for blasphemy.

On June 14, 2021, authorities arrested Girgis for having pictures on his phone deemed to be offensive to Islam. During interrogation, he was…

Indriyanto is imprisoned for his religious expression.

In March 2020, police in Probolinggo Regency, East Java, arrested Indriyanto for sharing photos online that were considered offensive…

Rahele Ahmadi was imprisoned for her women’s rights activism against compulsory religious veiling.

On July 10, 2019, authorities arrested Ahmadi, an activist against compulsory hijab,…

Yasaman Ariani was imprisoned for her women’s rights activism against compulsory religious veiling.

In April 2019, authorities arrested Ariani for protesting compulsory hijab after she was…

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…

Monireh Arabshahi was imprisoned for her women’s rights activism against compulsory religious veiling.

In April 2019, authorities arrested Arabshahi for protesting compulsory hijab by…

Parizad Hamidi Shafagh is imprisoned on blasphemy-related charges.

In February 2020, intelligence agents arrested Shafagh reportedly in relation to her social media activities.

In…

Shakila Monfared is imprisoned for blasphemy.

In August 2020, security forces arrested Monfared as she was leaving home, reportedly in relation to her social media activism.

In…

Shoma Sen was detained for her human rights and civil rights work for marginalized religious communities.

On June 6, 2018, police in Maharashtra arrested several…

Surendra Gadling is detained for religious freedom advocacy.

In June 2018, police in Maharashtra arrested Gadling, a human rights lawyer known for defending…

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…

Rona Wilson was detained for his human rights and civil rights work for marginalized religious communities.

On June 6, 2018, police in Maharashtra arrested…

Gautam Navlakha was under house arrest for his human rights and civil rights work for marginalized religious communities.

On August 28, 2018, police in…

Vernon Gonsalves was detained for his human rights and civil rights work for marginalized religious communities.

On August 28, 2018, police in Maharashtra…

Arun Ferreira was detained for his human rights and civil rights work for marginalized religious communities.

On August 28, 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…

Hany Babu was detained for his human rights and civil rights work for marginalized religious communities.

On July 28, 2020, the National Investigation Agency…

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…

Jyoti Jagtap is detained for her religious freedom advocacy.

In September 2020, the Anti-Terrorism Squad in Pune arrested Jagtap, a human rights activist, for…

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…

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…

Salma al-Shehab was imprisoned for her women's rights activism opposing state-imposed religious systems as well as her religious identity.

On January 15, 2021, authorities arrested al-…

Mahsa Amini was detained and died in state custody in relation to state-imposed religious dress.

In September 2022, police tasked with enforcing public morals in Tehran arrested Amini for…

Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo was detained for his religious conversion.

On December 15, 2021, authorities arrested Abdo, a Yemeni refugee, from his Cairo home. Abdo's arrest followed his…

Seyyed-Karam Abbasi was detained in relation to his religious belief and civil rights work.

On December 1, 2022, authorities in Saveh reportedly beat and arrested Abbasi, a Yarsani…

Syeed-Amin Abbasi was detained in relation to his religious belief and civil rights work.

On or around November 30, 2022, authorities reportedly arrested Abbasi, his brother Seyyed-Soroush…

Hamid Gharehassanlou is imprisoned on religiously oriented charges for protesting religious freedom conditions. 

On November 4, 2022, authorities in Karaj arrested Gharehassanlou,…

Mansour Safayi was detained in relation to his religious belief and civil rights work.

On December 12, 2022, authorities reportedly arrested Safayi after summoning him.

In…

Siavash Hayati was detained in relation to his religious belief and civil rights work.

On November 30, 2022, authorities reportedly arrested Hayati alongside other other Yarsani…

Kaki Farzad Almasi was detained in relation to his religious belief and civil rights work.

On November 30, 2022, authorities reportedly arrested Almasi alongside other other…

Maryam Nematollahi is imprisoned for opposing state-mandated religious veiling.

On October 13, 2022, authorities in Shiraz reportedly arrested Nematollahi, an Instagram influencer and…

Morsen Afrouz was imprisoned for protesting religious freedom conditions and in relation to his religious association.

In November 2022, authorities in Firuzkooh reportedly detained …

Mojahed Kourkour is imprisoned and sentenced to death on false charges justified on a religious basis. 

On December 20, 2022, authorities in Ahvaz arrested Kourkour in a violent raid…

Manahel al-Otaibi is imprisoned for her religious freedom advocacy.

In November 2022, Saudi authorities arrested al-Otaibi, an online fitness influencer, for opposing religiously grounded…

Fatemeh Sepehri is imprisoned for criticizing state-imposed religious policies. 

On September 21, 2022, security forces arrested Sepehri following the outbreak of nationwide…

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…

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…

Nikita Zhuravel is imprisoned for blasphemy.

On May 20, 2023, authorities in the Volgograd region arrested 19-year-old Zhuravel after he allegedly posted a video online of himself burning…

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…

Danh Minh Quang is imprisoned for religious freedom advocacy. 

On or around July 31, 2023, Vietnamese authorities in Soc Trang province arrested Dahn Minh Quang and charged him with “…

To Hoang Chuong is imprisoned for his human rights advocacy for religious communities. 

On or around July 31, 2023, Vietnamese authorities in Tra Vinh province arrested To Hoang Chuong…

Nasrin Soutudeh was detained for her religious freedom advocacy.

In October 2023, Iranian authorities arrested Soutudeh, an Iranian human rights activist and lawyer, as she…

Reza Rasaei is imprisoned and sentenced to death for protesting religious freedom conditions.

In November 2022, Iranian security forces arrested Rasaei, a Yarsani adherant, in Karaj after…

Mariam Al Qisoom is imprisoned for her religious freedom advocacy. 

In February 2019, authorities arrested Qisoom for her human rights advocacy on behalf of Shi'a minorities in…

Lina Lutfiawati is imprisoned for her religious expression.

In May 2023, police charged Lutfiawati with "disseminating information aimed at inflicting hatred or dissension on individuals and…

Ikhtiyorhoja Kamolov is detained for his religious activity. 

In April 2024, authorities in Sughd region arrested Ikhtiyorhoja Kamolov, imam of the Khoja Muhammad Balodurkun mosque in…

Bakhtiyor Akbarov is detained for his religious activity. 

In April 2024, authorities in Sughd region arrested Akbarov, a religious leader of the Khoja Muhammad Balodurkun mosque in the…

Neda Fotouhi is imprisoned for her membership in a religious organization and activism.

In October 2023, Iranian security forces arrested Fotouhi, an Iranian follower of Erfan-e-Halgheh,…