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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 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…
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…
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. …
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.…
Nguyen Bac Truyen was imprisoned for his religious freedom and human rights advocacy.
On July 30, 2017, Truyen, a lawyer and leader of…
Lei Xiuxiang was imprisoned for criticizing religious freedom conditions.
In July 2015, authorities arrested Lei for sending a letter to a high-ranking former official, protesting…
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…
Chang Weiping, a lawyer known for defending individuals facing charges for their religious belief and practice, is detained for accusing authorities of torture.
On October 22, 2020, …
Hassan Farhan al-Maliki is detained for his religious expression and religious freedom advocacy.
In September 2017, authorities arrested al-Maliki, an…
Zhang Xia was imprisoned for her religious activity.
On March 15, 2016, police in Dalian municipality, Liaoning province detained Zhang and later raided her home, confiscating her…
Jiang Wei is imprisoned for criticizing religious freedom conditions.
On November 9, 2015, authorities detained Jiang after she sued former Chinese government official Jiang Zemin over his…
Salman al-Ouda is detained for his religious activity and leadership role.
In September 2017, police arrested al-Ouda, a sheikh and Islamic scholar, from his home amid a state-wide wave…
Waleed abu al-Khair is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy.
In April 2014, authorities arrested al-Khair for legally defending religious prisoners of conscience, including Raif…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
Fazilhoja Arifhojaev is under house arrest for his religious expression.
On June 28, 2021, authorities arrested Arifhojaev, a blogger known for his criticism of the government's religious…
Movsum Samadov was imprisoned for criticizing religious freedom conditions and for his political activity.
On January 7, 2011, authorities arrested Samadov, head of the Islamic Party…
Abqul Suleymanov was imprisoned for criticizing religious freedom conditions.
On August 12, 2011, authorities arrested Suleymanov, a religious figure, for allegedly creating an extremist…
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…
Shohida Mamadjonova was imprisoned for her religious association.
In February 2022, authorities forcibly disappeared Mamadjonova, the mother of religious freedom advocate Sherzod …
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’…
Hidme Markam was detained for her advocacy work to protect religious sites.
On March 9, 2021, authorities arrested Markam, an Adivasi Indigenous activist known for criticizing state…
Go Sherab Gyatso is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.
On October 26, 2020, authorities arrested Sherab Gyatso - a Tibetan monk, religious philosopher, and advocate of a…
Rinchen Tsultrim was imprisoned for criticizing state policies restricting religious freedom.
On August 1, 2019, security officials in Ngaba (Aba) County, Ngaba (Aba) Tibetan &…
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…
Gedun Lhundrub is detained in relation to criticism of religious freedom conditions.
On December 2, 2020, police in Rebgong (Tongren) county, Malho (Huangnan) Tibetan Autonomous…
Lhundrub Dragpa is imprisoned in relation to criticizing government policies impacting religious freedom.
In May 2019, public security officials in Driru (Biru) county, Nagchu (Naqu)…
Lina Alsharif was detained in relation to religious freedom advocacy.
In May 2021, officials from the Saudi Presidency of State Security raided Alsharif’s home in Riyadh, arrested her, and…
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…
Omar Abdullah al-Saadoun is detained for her religious freedom advocacy.
In July 2021, authorities arrested Omar Abdullah al-Saadoun, a cleric and legal advisor, after he wrote an article…
Abdulrahman Al-Sadhan is imprisoned for his religious expression.
In March 2018, security agents from the Presidency of State Security arrested Al-Sadhan for operating two anonymous…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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-…
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…
Jagtar Singh Johal is detained for his religious belief and religious freedom advocacy.
In November 2017, over a dozen plainclothes officers arrested Jagtar Johal, a Sikh activist and…
Bian Changxue is imprisoned for his religious activity.
On January 5, 2016, authorities in Yutian county, Tangshan municipality, Hebei province,…
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…
Javed Mohammed is detained for his religious expression and religious freedom advocacy.
In June 2022, police in Uttar Pradesh arrested Mohammed, a well-known Muslim activist, after accusing…
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…
Cui Haoxin is detained for criticizing religious freedom conditions.
On January 14, 2020, authorities in Ji’nan municipality, Shandong province, detained Cui, a religious poet,…
Ma Like is detained for criticizing religious freedom conditions.
In April 2017, authorities in Kashgar prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), detained Ma reportedly…
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…
Anahita Khademi was detained for practicing her religion as a convert.
On January 3, 2023, authorities in Bandar Anzali reportedly arrested Khademi after summoning her. She was…
Abdolhamid Masoumi Tehrani was detained in relation to criticizing religious freedom conditions.
On October 16, 2022, authorities in Tehran reportedly arrested Tehrani, an ayatollah…
Hani Gibran was detained for criticizing religious freedom conditions.
On June 4, 2022, police arrested Gibran after he posted about the targeting of the Coptic Christian community on…
Oscar Benavidez was imprisoned for criticizing religious freedom conditions.
On August 14, 2022, authorities reportedly arrested Benavidez, a priest, after he performed mass. …
Tulkun Astanov is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy and for protesting religious freedom conditions.
On November 22, 2020, authorities arrested Astanov, a religious…
Bakhrom Khamroev is imprisoned for his human rights work for religious communities and his alleged religious expression.
On February 24, 2022, authorities arrested Khamroev, a human…
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…
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…
Fatemeh Sepehri is imprisoned for criticizing state-imposed religious policies.
On September 21, 2022, security forces arrested Sepehri following the outbreak of nationwide…
Abdulmajid Moradzahi is detained for protesting religious freedom conditions.
On January 30, 2023, authorities arrested Moradzahi, a prominent Sunni cleric, during protests in Zahedan…
Abdolaziz Omarzahi is detained in relation to protesting religious freedom conditions.
On April 30, 2023, authorities arrested Omarzahi, a lecturer at the Makki seminary school…
Abdollah Barahouie is detained in relation to protesting religious freedom conditions.
On August 12, 2023, authorities reportedly arrested Barahouie, a scholar at the Madineh al…
Fathi Mohammad Naghshbandi is detained for his religious activity.
On August 20, 2023, authorities reportedly arrested Naghshbandi, the imam and Friday prayer leader in Rask,…
Mohammed al-Ghamdi is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy.
In June 2022, security forces in Mecca arrested al-Ghamdi at his home. Prosecutors accused him of…