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2021-07-29

• Pastor Forced by Police to Flee

  

  A pastor in northern India and his family were forced to flee after he experienced torture and threats from police. Pastor Sanjay Kumar Bharati was taken into custody on June 13th – along with his wife, children, and several members of their church in Shyampur, Uttarakhand – after authorities received a complaint that they were violating COVID-19 protocols. However, all of the interrogation questions asked by the police centred on the ministry of the church and conversions to Christianity.

• Christian Medical Worker Forced to Decline Promotion

  

  In recent months, a number of healthcare workers in Pakistan have faced opposition because of their Christian faith. In April, two nurses were charged with blasphemy after following instructions from their supervisor (see this report). In another instance, a nurse was accused of blasphemy by her co-workers for no apparent reason and subjected to abuse (read more). The latest reported case involves a Christian man who had been threatened and assaulted after receiving a promotion to a leadership position at his place of employment.

• Christian Worker Released from Custody

  

  In the previous week's Persecution & Prayer Alert, it was reported that Maria, the wife of a ministry training centre director, was suddenly arrested in Belarus on July 9th for unknown reasons. We are pleased to announce that shortly after the published report, Maria was released from custody.