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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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Khurram Parvez is detained for his religious freedom advocacy.
In November 2021, authorities arrested Parvez, a Muslim human rights advocate in Kashmir, India's only Muslim-majority state.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Mahnaz Jan Nesar was imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.
In April 2017, authorities arrested Nesar and several other Baha’is in Bandar Abbas reportedly for attending Baha’i…
Maral Rasti was imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.
In April 2017, authorities arrested Rasti and several other Baha’is in Bandar Abbas reportedly for attending Baha’i…
Arash Rasekhi was imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.
In April 2017, authorities arrested Rasekhi and several other Baha’is in Bandar Abbas reportedly for attending Baha’i…
Mehrallah Afshar was imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.
In April 2017, authorities arrested Afshar and several other Baha’is in Bandar Abbas reportedly for…
Nasim Ghanvatian was imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.
In April 2017, authorities arrested Ghanvatian and several other Baha’is in Bandar Abbas reportedly for…
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…
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…
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 (…
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…
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…
Teesta Setalvad was detained for her human rights work supporting minority religious communities.
On June 25, 2022, an antiterrorism squad in Mumbai arrested Setalvad, a human rights…
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…
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…
Atikur Rahman was detained in relation to his religious identity, social work for religious communities, and for protesting religious freedom conditions.
On October 5, 2020, authorities…
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…
Payam Vali is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.
On September 24, 2022, authorities in Karaj arrested Vali reportedly in relation to his being Baha'i. Security…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Oscar Benavidez was imprisoned for criticizing religious freedom conditions.
On August 14, 2022, authorities reportedly arrested Benavidez, a priest, after he performed mass. …
Kamile Wayit is detained in relation to her ethnoreligious identity and her brother's human rights work.
On December 12, 2022, authorities in Atush (Atushi) city, Kizilsu (Kezilesu) Kyrgyz…
Tulkun Astanov is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy and for protesting religious freedom conditions.
On November 22, 2020, authorities arrested Astanov, a religious…