Displaying results 1 - 74 of 74

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…

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

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

Phan Thanh Tuong was imprisoned for his religious activity.

In late February/early March 2012, authorities arrested Tuong, a member of the Buddhist An Dan Dai Dao religious group, and…

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…

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…

Rejepniyaz Hebibulla is detained for his ethnoreligious identity and religiously oriented business. 

In late 2017 or early 2018, authorities detained Hebibulla and sent him to an…

Qurbanjan Abdusemet was imprisoned for his ethnoreligious identity and religiously oriented business activity. 

In 2009, authorities detained Abdusemet and his brother reportedly for…

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…

Rizaydin Abdureshit is imprisoned for his ethnoreligious identity and in relation to his religiously oriented business.

In 2018, authorities in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR…

Emetjan is imprisoned for his ethnoreligious identity and in relation to his religiously oriented business.

In 2018, authorities in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR)…

Chen Yu is imprisoned in relation to his religiously oriented business.

On September 13, 2019, public security officials from Linhai City, Taizhou Municipality, Zhejiang Province…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Zeynab Jalalian is imprisoned on religiously oriented charges.

In March 2008, security officials violently arrested Jalalian reportedly in relation to her social and political activism 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…

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…

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…

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…

Atash Shahkarami was detained for speaking out about the disappearance and murder of an anti-hijab protester.

On October 2, 2022, security forces arrested Shahkarami after she spoke with…

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…

Niloofar Hamedi was imprisoned for reporting on religious freedom conditions.

On September 22, 2022, authorities raided the home of Hamedi and arrested her in relation to her…

Ma Like is detained for criticizing religious freedom conditions.

In April 2017, authorities in Kashgar prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), detained Ma reportedly…

Yang Jianxin is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

In early 2021, authorities detained Yang, pastor of a house church, for “conducting illegal business operations” and “…

Chen Lijun is detained for his religious belief and activity. 

On August 13, 2022, authorities in Luanchuan county, Luoyang municipality, Henan province, detained Chen, a…

Elaheh Mohammadi was imprisoned for reporting on religious freedom conditions.

On September 29, 2022, authorities arrested Mohammadi in relation to her reporting on the funeral of Mahsa…

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…

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

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

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

On November 4, 2022, authorities in Karaj arrested …

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 …

Tulkun Astanov is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy and for protesting religious freedom conditions.

On November 22, 2020, authorities arrested Astanov, a religious…

Alimardon Sultanov is imprisoned for criticizing religious freedom conditions. 

Sara Mottaghi is detained for blasphemy.

On January 15, 2023, Iranian authorities raided the home of Mattaghi, a poet, for writing about an ancient Iranian day celebrating women. After…

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…

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…

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…

Isidro Mora was detained for criticizing religious freedom conditions and for his religious leadership role.

On December 20, 2023, Nicaraguan police arrested Mora, a bishop from the…

Silvio Fonseca was detained for his religious expression and his religious leadership role.

On December 29, 2023, Nicaraguan authorities arrested Silvio Fonseca, the vicar of Family, Life…

Héctor Treminio was detained for his religious leadership role.

On December 28, 2023, police arrested Treminio, parish priest of the Santo Cristo de Esquipulas Church in Managua and…

Carlos Avilés was detained for his religious leadership role.

On December 28, 2023, police arrested Avilés, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Managua and priest of Cristo de las Colinas…

Fernando Calero was detained for his religious leadership role.

On December 28, 2023, police arrested Calero, parish priest of Our Lady of Fátima in Rancho Grande, Matagalpa, after he…

Marcos Díaz Prado was detained for his religious leadership role.

On December 28, 2023, authorities arrested Díaz Prado, vicar of the Santo Tomás Apóstol church of Puerto de Corinto in…

Mykel Monterrey was detained for his religious leadership role.

On or around December 29, 2023, police arrested Monterrey, parish priest of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria parish of the…

Raúl Zamora was detained for his religious leadership role.

On or around December 29, 2023, police arrested Zamora, parish priest of Jesús de la Divina Misericordia parish of the…

Gerardo Rodríguez was detained for his religious leadership role.

On or around December 30, 2023, police arrested Rodríguez, parish priest of Purísima Concepción church in Reparto Belmonte…

Miguel Mántica was detained for his religious leadership role.

On or around December 29, 2023, police arrested Mántica, parish priest of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Bolonia, Managua,…

Jader Hernández was detained for his religious leadership role.

On or around December 29, 2023, police arrested Hernández, parish priest of the Madre del Divino Pastor parish in Nejapa,…

Ismael Serrano was detained for his religious leadership role.

On December 30, 2023, police arrested Serrano, parish priest of San Miguel Arcángel, Las Brisas, under unclear circumstances…

 José Gustavo Sandino Ochoa was detained for his religious leadership role.

On December 31, 2023, police reportedly arrested Sandino, parish priest of Our Lady of Sorrows parish in…

Alester Sáenz was detained for his religious leadership role.

On December 20, 2023, Nicaraguan police arrested Sáenz, a seminarian, alongside Bishop Isidro Mora after the bishop…

Tony Palacios was detained for his religious leadership role.

On December 20, 2023, Nicaraguan police arrested Palacios, a seminarian, alongside Bishop Isidro Mora after the…

Freddy Quezada was imprisoned for criticizing religious freedom conditions.

On November 29, 2023, the Nicaraguan authorities arrested Quezada, a professor, after he criticized 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,…

Mazaher Heydari is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity. 

In June 2024, Iranian security forces arrested Heydari, a Gonabadi Sufi who has advocated for women’s rights…