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…

Vladimir Atrуakhin is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity. 

On February 6, 2019, authorities arrested Atrуakhin, a programmer, following a raid on his home.  He was…

Zhu Jinlian is imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.

On September 30, 2017, police from Pingyuan dounty, Shandong province, detained Zhu reportedly in relation to her religious…

Gong Xingqi was imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On October 17, 2016, the police in Weifang city, Shandong province detained Gong reportedly in relation to his religious…

Zheng Shihong is imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.

On October 17, 2016, the police in Weifang city, Shandong province, detained Zheng reportedly in relation to her…

Yang Xia is imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.

On October 17, 2016, the police in Weifang city, Shandong province, detained Yang reportedly in relation to her religious…

Li Huaxian was imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.

On August 23, 2014, authorities in Jinxiang county arrested Li reportedly while she was preaching in Mengdian…

Li Naiyang was imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.

On June 25, 2014, officers from the Wulian County Public Security Bureau in Shandong province arrested Li reportedly in…

Pei Jing was imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.

On December 12, 2012, officers from the Pengdian Township Police Station of Xi county, Xinyang city, Henan province,…

Song Rongmin was imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.

On December 12, 2012, officers from the Pengdian Township Police Station of Xi county, Xinyang city, Henan…

Lin Weiping is imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.

On December 25, 2017, officers from the Yanling County Public Security Bureau in Xuchang city, Henan province, detained Lin…

Bai Xiujie was imprisoned for her religious belief and activity. 

On September 26, 2013, authorities arrested Bai in relation to her religious beliefs and evangelizing activities.

Hu Wenlan is imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.

On November 3, 2018, officers from the Yining City Public Security Bureau in Xinjiang detained Hu, a member of the Church of…

Zhang Xue is imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.

In November 2018, officers from the Yining City Public Security Bureau in Xinjiang detained Zhang reportedly in relation to…

Huang Qiuxiang is imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.

On November 29, 2018, police from the Yining City Public Security Bureau in Xinjiang detained Huang reportedly in…

Zhao Haibin was imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On February 17, 2017, officers from the Yangcheng Public Security Bureau of Jincheng detained Zhao reportedly in relation to…

Xiong Qunqun is imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.

On June 29, 2018, officers from the Linchuan Branch of Fuzhou Public Security Bureau detained Xiong reportedly in…

Li Fasheng is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On April 14, 2019, officers from the Dongxiang District Public Security Bureau in Fuzhou city, Jiangxi province,…

Nguyen Bac Truyen was imprisoned for his religious freedom and human rights advocacy.

On July 30, 2017, Truyen, a lawyer and leader of…

Chen Tingting is imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.

On November 15, 2018, police from the Gaoqing County Public Security Burea detained Chen in relation to her religious…

Yin Xue is imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.

On November 16, 2018, officers from the Gaoqing County Public Security Bureau detained Yin reportedly in relation to her…

Hu Mei was imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.

In May 2016, officers from the Xuzhou Economic Development Zone Public Security Bureau detained Hu reportedly in relation to her…

Hu Xiuzhen was imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.

On March 20, 2015, officers from the Feng County Public Security Bureau in Jiangsu province detained Hu reportedly in…

Y Yich was imprisoned for his religious activity.

On May 13, 2013, authorities arrested Yich, a pastor in the Degar Protestant Church, after accusing him of spreading Degar Protestantism, a…

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…

Jang Moon Seok was imprisoned for his religious activity.

In November 2014, Seok, a deacon, was abducted and transferred from China to a prison in North Korea for his evangelism,…

Joo Gwang Ho is detained for his religious activity.

On an unspecified date, authorities in China arrested Joo Gwang Ho for his evangelism to ethnic-Chinese citizens and North Korean…

Lee Soo Gil was executed for his religious activity.

In December 2001, authorities in China arrested Lee Soo Gil for evangelizing and helping North Korean refugees escape to South Korea. He…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Ruth Sitepu was forcibly disappeared for her religious identity. 

On November 30, 2016, Sitepu and her husband, Joshua Hilmy, were disappeared at the hands of authorities or…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Aleksandr Korolev is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity. 

On March 20, 2019, authorities initiated a criminal case against Korolev for “participating in the…

Denis Antonov is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity. 

On March 14, 2019, authorities initiated a criminal case against Antonov for “participating in the…

Georgiy Nikulin is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

In February 2019, authorities reportedly open a criminal case against Nikulin for “organizing the activities of a…

Aleksandr Shevchuk was imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

In February 2019, authorities reportedly open a criminal case against Shevchuk for “organizing the…

Elena Nikulina is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On April 2, 2021, authorities charge Nikulina with  “recruiting…a person in the activities of an…

Danil Suvorov was imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On August 18, 2021, authorities in Sochi detained Suvorov following searches on the homes of several Jehovah's…

Lyudmila Shchekoldina was imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.

On May 23, 2022, the Pavlovsky District Court of Krasnodar sentenced Shchekoldina to four years and one month…

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…

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

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

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

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

Abdolhamid Masoumi Tehrani was detained in relation to criticizing religious freedom conditions.

On October 16, 2022, authorities in Tehran reportedly arrested Tehrani, an ayatollah…

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

In November 2022, authorities in Firuzkooh reportedly detained …

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…

Irfan Mehraj is detained for religious freedom advocacy.

In March 2023, National Investigation Agency authorities arrested Mehraj, a human rights activist and journalist known for his…

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…

Server Mustafayev is imprisoned for his alleged religious activity. 

On May 21, 2018, authorities in Russian-occupied Crimea, Ukraine, arrested Mustafayev, co-founder of Crimean…