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As Iran continues its repressive actions against the country's Christians, the church as a whole has nevertheless experienced remarkable growth, with numerous people coming to faith in Christ. Because opportunities for Farsi-speaking believers to gather for worship have been severely restricted over the years, many Christians relied on satellite television broadcasts for Biblical teaching and encouragement. However, a new directive from the country's Ministry of Intelligence has now made accessing these resources much more dangerous.

The state government of Maharashtra has ordered an audit of all land and properties owned by Christian churches and charities following allegations that some have been misused for private or commercial purposes. The decision was made following a case of alleged fraud involving a Christian organization in the state's Nashik region, where parcels of church-owned land were reportedly leased or sold using forged ownership records.

Criminal charges have been brought against at least two religious freedom advocates currently living outside the country of Belarus. Both individuals have been added to Russia's federal list of wanted persons, meaning they could risk deportation to Belarus if found residing within countries that maintain close ties with the Russian Federation (such as Kazakhstan, Tajikistan or Uzbekistan). When inquiries were made regarding the specific charges against the two believers, Belarusian authorities provided no details.

Marshall Masih, a Christian father of four, was gunned down by four men from his neighbourhood in the city of Lahore during the early hours of July 10th. Marshall (who was also known as Bunty) had previously filed a police complaint against two Muslim neighbours, named Shani and Azam, because they had been harassing Christian women in the area and shooting their guns into the air. In retaliation, the two men broke into Marshall's home with the help of two other local Muslims and shot the young father 15 times.

In an affidavit filed earlier this month before India's Supreme Court, officials from the Indian state of Rajasthan announced their plans to introduce legislation that would ban so-called forced religious conversions. The proposal comes after the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took control of the state following elections in late November, unseating the more centrist Indian National Congress.

Local authorities have threatened to evict a church in West Java because of its proximity to the Indonesian International Islamic University, despite the church having met previously in that location for nine years. The HKI Juanda Church in Depok, which consists of more than 150 members, is located on the edge of cultivated land. However, since the university was founded in September 2021, it has taken over the property of the neighbouring land.

A draft law, which is purported to "further strengthen the rights of children," recently passed its first reading in Uzbek parliament. However, the proposed legislation seeks to punish parents or guardians who allow their children to receive "illegal" religious education before reaching the age of 18.

Human rights organizations around the world are raising concerns about the fate of 11 Christian prisoners in Vietnam. The Christian men were all sentenced to prison at different times between 2011 and 2016. It has recently come to light that their whereabouts remain a mystery, and that the believers who should have completed their sentences by now were not yet released to return home.

A Christian woman is presently facing a difficult ruling after being ordered by an Iraqi court to convert to Islam. The decision is based on the 1959 Personal Status Law, which mandates that children must adopt Islam if one of their parents converts to the Muslim faith.

In October 2023, a bill that would put significant restrictions on religious organizations in Kyrgyzstan passed its first reading. Of particular concern to human rights experts were the legislation's vague wording (which could potentially be subjected to abuse) and the strict new requirements for financial reporting. Previously published details on the proposed restrictions are available here.