Displaying results 1 - 100 of 132

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

In June 2012, authorities arrested Badawi, a…

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…

Sevada Aghasar was imprisoned for his religious activity and being associated with religious converts. 

In August 2013, authorities arrested Aghasar at the workplace of a friend in…

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…

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…

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. …

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 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.…

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.…

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…

Amri Che Mat was forcibly disappeared for his religious activity.

On November 24, 2016, Mat, a Shi'a Muslim convert, was abducted while driving to visit a friend. According to…

Maruf Gul is detained for alleged blasphemy.

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

Abdujelil Hajim is detained for his religious belief, activity, and ethnoreligious identity.

In 2017, authorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) detained several Uyghur…

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…

Jume Nasir is detained for his religious activity and ethnoreligious identity. 

In July 2016, authorities detained Nasir reportedly for praying inside his business. Additional reasons…

Beyshihan Hoshur is detained for her religious activity and ethnoreligious identity.

In March 2018, authorities detained Hoshur and several other elderly women in relation to their…

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

In March 2018, authorities in Pichan (Shanshan) county, Turpan (Tulufan) municipality, Xinjiang…

Yasin Tursun is imprisoned for his religious activity and ethnoreligious identity. 

In 2017, authorities detained Tursan, a farmer and Communist Party member, reportedly for "…

Ziyawudun Choruq is detained for his religious activity and ethnoreligious identity. 

On an unknown date in 2017, authorities in Korla (Ku’erle) city, Bayangol (Bayinguoleng) Mongol…

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

In July 2017, public security authorities in Shaptul township, Peyziwat (Jiashi) county,…

Gheni Haji is imprisoned for his religious belief, activity, and ethnoreligious identity.

In May 2017, authorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) detained Haji and…

Memet Tursun Haji is imprisoned for his religious belief, activity, and ethnoreligious identity.

In May 2017, authorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) detained Haji,…

Imin Hajim is imprisoned for his religious belief, activity, and ethnoreligious identity.

In May 2017, authorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) detained Hajim, …

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

Joshua Hilmy was forcibly disappeared for his religious belief and activity. 

On November 30, 2016, Hilmy, who is a pastor, and his wife, Ruth Sitepu, were disappeared at the hands…

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…

Aleksey Yershov was imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

In July 2020, security forces raided the home of Yershov and other Jehovah's Witnesses. They reportedly…

Andrey Kolesnichenko was imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

In July 2020, authorities raided the home of Kolesnichenko and other Jehovah's Witnesses and confiscated…

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.…

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…

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…

Umar Gautam is detained for his religious activity.

In June 2021, authorities arrested Gautam, a Muslim convert, Islamic scholar, and founder of the Islamic Da’…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Wangchen is detained for his religious activity.

In June 2023, police in Lhasa municipality, Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), detained Wangchen while he was on pilgrimage with his family.…

Thubten Pema Lhundrub is detained for adherence to a religious figure.

On May 14, 2019, public security officials in Kangtsa (Gangcha) county, Tsojang (Haibei) Tibetan Autonomous…

Gholamreza Keyvanmanesh is detained for practicing his religion as a convert.

On June 26, 2022, authorities arrested Keyvanmanesh and three others in Neyshabur as they gathered…

Reza Radmanesh is detained for practicing their religion as a convert.

On July 17, 2022, security forces arrested four Christians, including Radmanesh, in Neyshabur City…

Homayoun Zhaveh was imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert.

In June 2019, authorities arrested Zhaveh and his wife, Sara Ahmadi, as they were on vacation with some…

Sara Ahmadi was imprisoned for practicing her religion as a convert.

In June 2019, authorities arrested Ahmadi and her husband, ​​​​​​Homayoun Zhaveh, as they were on vacation with…

Mohammad Golbaz is detained for practicing his religion as a convert.

On July 30, 2022, authorities arrested Golbaz at his motorcycle repair shop reportedly after raiding his parents' home…

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…

Yevgeny Tarasov is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On October 5, 2021, authorities in Moscow arrested six men, including Tarasov, after raiding their homes and…

Mukazhan Ksyupov is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On October 5, 2021, authorities in Moscow arrested six men, including Ksyupov, after raiding their homes and…

Parviz Zeynalov is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On October 5, 2021, authorities in Moscow arrested six men, including Zeynalov, after raiding their homes and…

Urdash Abdullayev is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On October 5, 2021, authorities in Moscow arrested six men, including Abdullayev, after raiding their homes and…

Ilmir Abdullin was detained for his religious belief and activity.

On October 5, 2021, authorities in Moscow arrested six men, including Abdullin, after raiding their homes and…

Nikolay Nesterovich was detained for his religious belief and activity.

On October 5, 2021, authorities in Moscow arrested six men, including Nesterovich, after raiding their homes…

Aleksey Dyadkin is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity. 

On August 21, 2020, authorities arrested Dyadkin after he meeting with investigators for questioning.…

Aleksey Goreliy is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On August 8, 2020, authorities arrested Goreliy after raiding the homes of several Jehovah's Witnesses and…

Nikita Moiseyev was imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On August 8, 2020, authorities arrested Moiseyev after raiding the homes of several Jehovah's Witnesses and…

Vladimir Popov is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On August 12, 2020, authorities arrested Popov after raiding the homes of several Jehovah's Witnesses and…

Yevgeniy Razumov was imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On August 8, 2020, authorities arrested Razumov after raiding the homes of several Jehovah's Witnesses and…

Oleg Shidlovskiy is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On August 8, 2020, authorities arrested Shidlovskiy after raiding the homes of several Jehovah's Witnesses and…

Roman Baranovskiy is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On April 10, 2019, authorities in Abkan arrested Baranovskiy following raids on the homes of Jehovah's…

Yaroslav Kalin is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity. 

On October 4, 2021, authorities in Irkutsk detained Kalin following raids on the homes of several…

Sergey Kosteyev is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On October 4, 2021, authorities in Irkutsk detained Kosteyev following raids on the homes of several Jehovah'…

Nikolay Martynov is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On October 4, 2021, authorities in Irkutsk detained Martynov following raids on the homes of several Jehovah…

Mikhail Moysh is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On October 4, 2021, authorities in Irkutsk detained Moysh following raids on the homes of several Jehovah's…

Igor Popov is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On November 30, 2021, authorities in Mezhdurechensk detained Popov following a raid on his home. Investigators had…

Denis Sarazhakov is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On November 30, 2021, authorities in Askiz detained Sarazhakov following a raid on his home.…

Aleksey Solnechny is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On October 4, 2021, authorities in Irkutsk detained Solnechny following raids on the homes of…

Andrey Tolmachev is impisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On October 4, 2021, authorities in Irkutsk detained Tolmachev following raids on the homes of…

Sergey Vasilyev is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On October 4, 2021, authorities in Irkutsk detained Tolmachev following raids on the homes of several…

Yevgeniy Zhukov is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On October 1, 2020, Russian authorities in Sevastopol, Crimea, Ukraine, detained Zhukov following searches on…

Vladimir Maladyka is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On October 1, 2020, Russian authorities in Sevastopol, Crimea, Ukraine, detained Maladyka following…

Vladimir Sakada is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On October 1, 2020, Russian authorities in Sevastopol, Crimea, Ukraine, detained Sakada following searches on…

Sergey Ananin is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On February 14, 2021, authorities in Belovo detained Ananin after searching the homes of several Jehovah's Witnesses. He…

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…

Jumanazar Hojambetow is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

In early summer 2017, authorities arrested Hojambetow and four others for meeting to pray and study the writings of…

Begejik Begejikow is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

In early summer 2017, authorities arrested Begejikow and four others for meeting to pray and study the writings of Said…