Gaza Christians say they face intimidation under Hamas rule, and their community has shrunk to about 400 people after years of persecution.

Christians in Gaza

Christians in Indonesia face a pattern of threats and protests that block them from building churches or even meeting for worship in private homes. In late September a machete-wielding man interrupted a prayer service of about 40 Christians, warning that "bloodshed will occur" if it was not closed. He was not arrested, and the prayer house was later ordered shut for lacking a permit. After an October 6 meeting with community leaders, six Christians worshipping in a home agreed to suspend services until paperwork was complete; the pastor said he agreed out of fear for his family, and a neighborhood leader reportedly said, "Arrest them; if they resist, kill them." This year at least 11 places of worship have had construction halted after protests, and the required paperwork had been completed in all but five cases. One church has been unfinished since 2004 after arson, and another has spent nine years trying to get a permit.

Christians in Indonesia seeking to build churches or hold worship in homes

Why: A 2006 joint ministerial decree requires a new church to show 90 congregants and signatures from 60 neighbors, which gives hostile neighbors an effective veto even when every other requirement is met. Local leaders often settle disputes by keeping the peace at the minority congregation's expense.

Twenty-nine people, including Christians abducted by ADF militants while working in their fields, were rescued in late October 2026 by joint FARDC and Ugandan UPDF operations in Ituri province. Survivors described weeks of captivity in the forest, with hunger, threats and killings, and families are now being reunited with them amid continuing fear of further ADF attacks.

Christians and other civilians held hostage by the ADF in Ituri province

Hundreds of Christians gathered in Kolkata to demand protection after 48 alleged attacks across districts. Family members were allegedly forced to take part in rituals at a Durga Puja pandal, and attackers reportedly said they had made the locality free of Christians.

Christians in West Bengal, including members of a local family

Jordan's State Security Court has begun the trial of three men accused of attacking a funeral at St George's Greek Orthodox Church in Hmoud, which killed nine people and injured others. The first hearing was held on 4 November, and the defendants face terrorism-related charges, which could carry the death penalty if convicted. The three men were arrested on 26 October after a shootout in an abandoned house in Karak governorate, three days after the attack. Jordan declared three days of national mourning. The charges are allegations, and the court has yet to decide the case.

Worshippers at St George's Greek Orthodox Church funeral in Hmoud village, Karak governorate

Milad Malak was reportedly killed by Islamic State militants in Libya after refusing to renounce his faith. He had travelled to Libya in search of work, and he was kidnapped with two Muslim friends from his village in the city of Zliten. The friends were later released and reported that militants pressured him for days, including with torture and threats, to convert to Islam. Open Doors said his death echoes the 2015 killing of 20 Coptic Christians and one Ghanaian on a Libyan beach. The watchdog asked for prayers for his family.

Milad Malak, a 20-year-old Coptic Christian and church deacon from Egypt

Church in Omdurman, Sudan

Thousands of Christian families are fleeing clashes around the border town of Moyale and seeking safety in Kenya. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights said about 40,000 people fled unrest in Ethiopia and called for urgent humanitarian action. The World Council of Churches urged Ethiopian authorities to protect Christian communities facing armed attacks. Displaced families are leaving without adequate food or clothing, and many have been separated from relatives. Christian households now depend on humanitarian aid or help from relatives and churches. The article does not clearly state that the violence targets people for their faith.

Christian communities in Ethiopia displaced by violence

Christians in West Bengal who were hurt in mob violence

Maronite Christians of the Archeparchy of Haifa

Seventeen Christians abducted from churches in Kaduna State's Kachia area earlier this year have died in captivity, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide Nigeria, which announced the deaths on Sunday at an event in Kaduna marking the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. They were among 37 people seized on April 5 when gunmen stormed three churches in the Ariko community during Sunday services and killed five worshippers. Most of the captives were women and children. Twelve escaped over the following weeks, the 17 died from the harsh conditions of captivity, and the remaining eight survivors were released after five months. On April 20, armed men also abducted 11 people in nearby Awon village, and four of them are still being held more than six months later. The organisation says insecurity in rural Kaduna has reached the point where residents can no longer attend church without fear of mass abduction.

Worshippers at churches in Kaduna

Priests and devotees at a church in West Bengal

Father Samir Daou was found murdered at his home in Ain Jrain, Jbeil District, Lebanon, after his phone signal went dead around 1 p.m. on a Wednesday. Authorities have not named a suspect or motive, though investigators are reportedly examining links to a Syrian worker he had hired for the olive harvest and to his stolen car. He pastored the parishes of Hsoun and Ferhet in Jbeil District. Search operations were launched near his last cell signal after he was reported missing.

Father Samir Daou, a Syriac Maronite priest

Christians in Chhattisgarh's tribal belt have been forced out of their homes, according to a report by International Christian Concern.

Christians in Chhattisgarh's tribal belt

Attacks in Ethiopia killed at least 60 Orthodox Christians, according to the church.

Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia

After 12 years of struggle, Pastor Andi and his wife have secured the permits needed for a church building in Indonesia. Their congregation of about 30 people had previously been blocked by local opposition and had to rotate worship among members' homes. The permits were obtained this month under government regulations.

Pastor Andi and his congregation in Indonesia

Egyptian National Security officers arrested Fahmi, 41, at his home in Alexandria on October 5 over his Facebook posts criticizing forced Islamic education of non-Muslims. He is reportedly being held incommunicado, has been charged with "contempt of Islam," and has no court case number yet, according to Coptic Solidarity. The report also notes that six young Copts from Taha Al-Aamida village in Minya were arrested on October 6 over a TikTok video, and that a separate trial of Christian convert Said Mansour Rezk Abdelrazek was adjourned until November 3.

Sherif Wagih Fahmi, a Coptic Christian engineer

Why: Charged with contempt of Islam over his Facebook posts.

An attack on a Greek Orthodox church killed nine and wounded 40, and three suspects were arrested after a shootout. Jordanian airstrikes in southern Syria then reportedly killed five, including women and children.

Worshippers at a Greek Orthodox church

A Christian village in Syria was attacked, according to International Christian Concern.

Christian village in Syria

Gunmen opened fire at a church in Jordan, killing at least seven people.

Worshippers at a church in Jordan

Gunmen opened fire on a funeral at St. George's Greek Orthodox Church in Hmood, Karak Province, on October 23, killing at least six or seven people and wounding 28. Witnesses said more than 150 people were at the church, and the attackers shouted "Allahu Akbar" while targeting the courtyard where mourners stood. Jordan's King Abdullah vowed a harsh response, and the Interior Minister called it a terrorist operation.

Suspected Islamic extremists; Christian mourners at a Greek Orthodox church funeral

Amin Ismail, held for more than a year in Kobar Prison in Khartoum without conviction, has been released, according to International Christian Concern. He remains in the capital, where the family says he is still at risk from people who wished him harm. ICC says the family's pastor is in exile after refusing state pressure over church lands.

Amin Ismail, son of Pastor Ismail Azzaz

Why: Persecution linked to his father's refusal to surrender church lands to government pressure, and a powerful man's interest in his wife.

Christians are fleeing drone strikes during the war in Khartoum, Sudan, according to a report from International Christian Concern.

Christians in Khartoum

Fr. Otache was kidnapped on October 13 with seven others and held for five days. Police from Benue State rescued all eight victims on October 18 and arrested two suspects. Otukpo Diocese welcomed his safe return with thanksgiving.

Fr. John Inalegwu Otache, a Catholic priest of St. Margaret's Church, Ajegbe-Awume, Benue State

The six were detained after posting a TikTok video reenacting a scene from an Egyptian comedy film, and have been held in prison for about two weeks on charges of "exploiting" and "insulting" Islam. The video drew comments inciting violence against them and their families, and villagers reported them to police. They were handed over to police on October 6 on the understanding they would be released once tensions eased, but remain jailed. Alliance Defending Freedom is calling for their immediate release.

Six Christian men aged 17 to 23 from a village in Minya, Egypt

Why: They are charged with "exploiting" and "insulting" Islam over the video.

An intruder set fire to the inside of a Coptic church in Giza, and a suspect was arrested.

An intruder and a suspect, arrested after the attack on a Coptic church.

Darke was abducted in July 2022 during an ADF attack on Lume in eastern Congo and says she was abused and pressured to accept Islam. She had two children with a rebel during captivity. Ugandan soldiers (UPDF) rescued her in Ituri Province; the village chief called her return deeply emotional for her family.

Katungu Mbaka Darke, a Christian woman from Lume village

The Borno State High Court sentenced Dawa to 14 years in prison under Section 210 of the state Penal Code after she shared her faith with a Muslim woman. The woman testified in court that she converted to Christianity voluntarily and was not forced. Dawa's husband, Evangelist Amos Suleman, says he has gone into hiding after threats to his life, following months in detention and release on bail. Gwoza Refugees Resettlement Initiative chairman Gavvs Katiya called the sentence disproportionate. The Borno State Government has not publicly commented. The full judgment and charge sheet have not been published.

Liyatu Samuel Dawa, a Christian mother from Gwoza, Borno State, sentenced by Justice A. B. Kumdila of the Borno State High Court.

One Christian was killed every 86 minutes in Nigeria through early September, according to figures cited in the report. Voice of the Martyrs' Todd Nettleton says violence is rising in northern Nigeria, northern Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Mali and Congo, including attacks that wiped out whole congregations. His group is giving displaced pastors and families shelter tarps and livelihood support.

Christians in Nigeria, Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Mali and Congo

Residents protested at the local government office and the Ministry of Religious Affairs against the planned GKPS church, questioning the community-support process and the permits already issued. The Purwakarta Regent said the local government would stay neutral and follow the law, and the regional Ministry of Human Rights said the administrative requirements had been completed and that religious freedom is protected by law. Similar protests occur frequently in Indonesia.

Hundreds of local residents in Cikopo Village, Purwakarta, West Java, protesting a Simalungun Protestant Christian Church (GKPS).