Tags

harrassment

• Increased Difficulties for Christians

  

  Under the regime of President Daniel Ortega, life for Christians in Nicaragua has become increasingly difficult. Many Catholic priests have been detained, often for being overtly opposed to the abusive actions committed by the country's governing authorities. During the last week of December alone, nine priests were detained.

• 42 Christians Questioned, Resulting in Several Being Charged

  

  Police in the Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh detained 42 Christians and formally charged nine of them after receiving a complaint about an alleged "Christian conversion racket." The accusations outlined tactics purported to be used by the believers in leading members of the state’s impoverished and tribal communities to convert to Christianity.

• Worshippers Threatened with Death

  

  The Sola Gratia congregation of the Bethel Indonesia Church meets in various homes in Jalan Banuaran, a village located in Padang, Indonesia. As the Christians were gathered for worship in the rented home of Juni Anton Zai on the evening of August 29th, a hostile woman in the community broke the windows of the house and demanded that those inside stop worshipping. According to Pastor Hiatani Ziduhu Hia, the woman, who was later identified as Liza, claimed to be the owner of the house.

• Multiple Raids on Church Services

  

  In a coordinated act, Chinese authorities raided five separate locations of the Guangzhou Bible Reformed Church during worship services on May 7th. Several church elders, preachers and co-workers were detained for interrogation, though most were released later that day. The worshippers meeting in each of the locations were ordered to disperse.

• Banking Access Blocked for Church

  

  For the past five years, the New Life Pentecostal Church has encountered repeated problems while trying to gain access to banking services – to the point of the recurring situation being described as "incomprehensible." With no access, the church administration has had difficulties paying necessary taxes, along with numerous other challenges.

• Municipal Authorities Order Demolition of Church

  

  The "Jesus Calls You" church in Abepradesa, Anuradhapura District, has been facing repeated harassment from local municipal council members, who claim that the church is unauthorized and therefore operating illegally. On September 23rd, the pastor received a letter ordering that all worship services be discontinued within 14 days or legal action will take place. (For more information, see this page.)When the church failed to comply, a different approach was taken by the officials. On October 11th, the pastor received a letter demanding that their church building be demolished within seven days. The statement warned that failure to comply will result in the demolition taking place anyway without further notice.

• Local Officials Join Protest Against Church Building

  

  For the past several months, local Islamic groups have opposed the construction of a proposed church building in the city of Cilegon, Banten province. On April 25th, a major demonstration was planned until the concerned parties convened. At the time, the protest was cancelled. The construction of the church was also delayed until all the permit requirements were fulfilled. Groups opposed to the building were asked to respect the permit process once all the requirements have been met.

• Family Under Threat Unless Father Renounces Christianity

  

  Yasir Masih, a father of two, resides in Karachi, Pakistan. Several months ago, the Christian man's wife left their home after being convinced by Yasir's aunt to convert to Islam. Since that time, other members of the family have been pressuring him to also convert.

• Churches Facing Threats of Forcible Closure

  

  In two separate instances, churches in Sri Lanka received demands to close on the pretence that their activities were offensive to their communities. In both cases, legal action has been threatened if they fail to comply.

• Increased Challenges for House Churches

  

  Recent raids on house churches in China have raised concerns, for these incidents could signify a shift in governmental policy – possibly connected to the upcoming presidential election. It's estimated that about 80 percent of the persecution presently taking place in China is being directed towards unauthorized house churches. To learn more about the repeated harassment committed by authorities against China's Christians, go to our country report.