In a rash of recent actions against Christians in Nepal, an alcoholic who became violent during an intervention had Christian leaders arrested on forcible conversion charges, and a foreign couple was deported.

The Bible shows us examples of legitimate opposition to the abuse of power by those in authority, and it is not simply limited to the subject of preaching the Gospel.

The European Court of Justice sides with Finnish data protection authorities. Preachers will have to inform about the personal data collected during their campaigns.

“We love our country, we pray for our authorities, and we have no intentions against our government”, Iranian Christian Dabrina Bet Tamraz told the UN Human Rights Council.

The most viewed television broadcaster falsely accused an evangelical pastor of pederasty.

Christians are called to “open our mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute”, says Wissam al-Saliby, the WEA Advocacy Officer for Human Rights in Geneva.

Those of us who work with immigrants have spent the last few days with growing fear and concern, though also with small glimmers of hope.

“The atmosphere in the country is changed, there is hope and trust over the future”, says Armenian Human Rights activist and evangelical Christian Hasmik Hovsepyan.

A church leader speaks about the opportunities and challenges after the fall of the government. “All my friends have actively participated in the protests and all of us have the same hopes for our country”.

A court in Barcelona has enforced a prison sentence of 12 to 20 months along with returning the money scammed upon a pastor and his wife, and the commercial director of a Christian tv station.

“It is still easy to succumb to the powerful marketing and cheap prices of fast fashion”, says Corban Bryant, founder of a fair trade garment company in Nepal.

The sentence says churches can only demand confessional allegiance when the job profile made it “significant, legal and justified”. In Germany, churches and their affiliated institutions are the second largest employer.

A secret witness accused the US pastor in Izmir of supporting the Kurdish PKK movement. Three witnesses submitted by the defense were not allowed to testify.

Police and customs officers interrogating the convert pressured him to renounce Christ.

Businesses like Purnaa, Made in Freedom and Roam Living are helping to change the textile industry by offering good jobs in a context dominated by exploitation.

Norine Brunson attended the hearing in Izmir on Monday. “The truth was spoken by Andrew and the Lord's name was glorified”.

“I have never done anything against Turkey. I want the truth to come out”, Andrew Brunson told the court in Izmir on Monday. His lawyer says “there is evidence that shows Brunson was detained due to his faith”.

In Western Europe today the majority of the church is made up of the relatively wealthy middle classes.

“If we walk in Christ, we will care for justice, freedom of speech, decency, honesty and will stand against abuse of power, manipulation, lies and violence”, says UKH (IFES) leader Tomas Uher.

If pastors and church leaders don’t work to find a solution, they lose the right for their condolences to be taken seriously.

“I believe that Christians have been called to shed light on what is wrong with the system”, says Slovak Christian worker Jaro Marcin.

“I know the allegations against my father are absurd. He is not an armed terrorist trying to overthrow any government, my father is a peaceful pastor”, daugther Jacqueline Brunson told the United Nations in Geneva.

More than 140 delegates of about 50 organisations met in the Netherlands. Training and resources were offered in specific workshops.

Police experts, the city hall and anti-trafficking movements raised awareness on sexual exploitation of women in Valencia (Spain). A workshop linked pornography to the eroticisation of violence.

The decision of the French Supreme Court can be seen as a victory for defenders of freedom of expression and of conscience, in particular concerning the option of quoting a verse from the Bible about homosexuality. But it also opens the way for new legal disputes on the subject.