Syria: City of Idlib has lost most of its Christian population

The governorate of Idlib in Syria has been almost entirely emptied of its substantial Christian community in the wake of 10 years of catastrophic civil war, Christian Persecution (CP) reports. Unofficial statistics state that around 200 Christians have managed to cling on to the city, but some 10,000 have now left.

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North Korea: Letter to advocacy group offers rare insight into life for Christians

Offering a rare glimpse into the life of Christians in secretive, isolated North Korea, advocacy group Open Doors UK recently shared a letter from an underground church leader who was exiled to do hard labor in a remote village without the possibility of returning home, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. North Korea is one of the most dangerous places in the world for Christians: Open Doors describes the level of persecution there as “extreme.”

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India: Police officer believed to have burned down church in Chhattisgarh state

Christians from India’s Koya tribal community in Kistaram village, Chhattisgarh state believe the head of their local police station is responsible for burning down their church in the early hours of 5 February, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports.

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Iran: Christians forced to have lessons with clerics to return to Islam

Iranian government authorities have ordered a group of ten Christian converts to undergo compulsory lessons with Muslim clerics who will try to make them see they were “misled” into the wrong faith and lead them back to Islam, Christian Persecution (CP) report.

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Algeria: Government threatening to shut down another Protestant church

Algerian government authorities are threatening to shut down yet another church from the Protestant Church of Algeria (Église Protestante d’Algérie– EPA) denomination, having closed 16 EPA churches already, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. While Algeria has the second-largest Christian community in North Africa, the Islamic government seeks to suppress the church in the name of protecting the Muslim faith.

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China: Pastor subject to government harassment since release from prison

Chinese government authorities in Zhejiang province are continuing to harass and threaten a house church pastor who was released from a prison sentence in December 2015, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. China ranks 17 on the US Open Door Watch List 2022 of top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.

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