“We are committed to protect religious freedom. It is unacceptable to persecute people for their belief”, said the Councillor of Justice of the regional government.

A report originally written to help the EU fight the persecution of faith minorities was watered down before its approval. The European Evangelical Alliance warns about the risks of minimising the importance of certain human rights.

Lorenzo Rosales is jailed in a high security prison since August 2021, after joining peaceful protests against the government. The European Parliament, US congressmen and human rights organisations called for his immediate release.

Evangelical Christians encourage the re-elected President of France to “build an authentically human society”. Protestants remind him that “the Republic is secular but French society is not”.

In a sentence, the highest court in Spain clearly opposes surrogacy because “it violates fundamental rights recognised in the Constitution and international agreements on human rights”.

Pastor Rosales Fajardo is still in prison. In a letter to the UN, the Cuban government notes the eight-year sentence, that has yet to be communicated to his family.

Brutal killings are denounced by the Ukrainian government and human rights organisations as Russia retires from occupied regions.

The entity representing 600 million evangelicals calls on Algeria “to end their persecution of evangelicals, rescind the unjust court sentences, and allow the churches forcibly closed to reopen”.

The Member of the Finnish Parliament reacts to her acquittal on 30 March 2022. “It is alarming that in a country that ranked third in the Rule of Law Index, I have been criminally charged for voicing my deeply held beliefs that are based on classical Christianity”.

Evangelicals at the UN Human Rights Council also asked the Greek government to look for alternative religious education classes for non-Orthodox students.

Evangelicals speaking at the UN Human Rights Council also denounced anti-conversion laws in Nepal and India, while praising peacemaking efforts in Lebanon and Colombia.

An interview with Vlady Raichinov (Bulgaria) and Marc Jost (Switzerland).

Päivi Räsänen was the main speaker at the 2022 General Assembly of the Spanish Evangelical Alliance: “Everyone should be free to express their deeply held beliefs about important issues without fear of censorship or criminal sanction”.

The second hearing focused more strongly on the interpretation of the law than the first hearing. Bible quotes and questions about faith were not heard this time.

The Finnish Member of Parliament charged with incitement to hatred against homosexuals faces the court again on 14 February. She defends herself against what she considers “false claims” of the prosecution.

Big Tech companies in the US and China “spread technologies and hope that any problems that might follow will be easily overcome”, says expert Jonathan Ebsworth. Giants such as Meta have not demonstrated a willingness to seek “the good of society as a whole”.

Spanish evangelicals denounce that “fundamental freedoms are at risk”, due to “authoritarian” legislative initiatives and “demand for all the right to think differently and to freely express it”.

The Winter Olympics begin this week amid complaints about the Chinese regime's “massive abuses” of minorities and the strict surveillance of its citizens.

In Ukraine, prayer gatherings multiply in the face of “stress and fear”. In Russia, evangelical leaders call for mediation.

Silence is the biggest noise in Cuba, but Adelys broke it when her husband, a pastor, was arrested during the ‘11-J’ protests in the city of Matanzas.

A summary of the main statements by the prosecution and the defense of MP Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola. On the ground reporting from Helsinki, Finland.

Afghanistan is new at the top of the Open Doors WWL 2022. Discover the full list.

Has there been an increase in respect for freedom of thought, conscience and religion for all and the cultivation of a culture of civility? At least in Europe, the signs are not good.

Clashes with the State and punishments of Cuban evangelicals have increased in recent years, but without a high number of imprisoned pastors. Until 11 July 2021 came.

“We stand ready to support a peace and reconciliation process, particularly engaging our regional branch, the Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA)”, said Thomas Schirrmacher.