PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS COMPARED WITH 2022—2024
= Better
= Slightly worse
= Slightly better
= Worse
= No change
IRAQ
Christians experienced severe repression: house churches were raided, and the arrests and detentions of Christians increased. Christians have been accused of acting as “foreign agents” leading to rising persecution. See p. 22. IRAN
PAKISTAN
INDIA
Although Kurdistan provides a safe haven for many Christians, incidents of harassment by militias and sporadic violence against Christian communities continued to remain a general issue. Legal discrimination persists for converts. See p. 23.
The endemic forced conversion and marriage of minority faith girls shows every sign of getting worse with courts invoking Sharia law to override protective legislation. Concerns grew about increasing blasphemy cases. See p. 32.
Hundreds of incidents of increasing anti-Christian violence saw worship disrupted, churches vandalized and physical assaults. In an atmosphere of Hindutva populism, state “anti-conversion” laws legitimize attacks. See p. 20.
Positive rhetoric and goodwill gestures from authorities still vie with the draconian imposition of intrusive laws like Decree 95. Ethnic Christian groups in the highlands continued to be persecuted harshly. See p. 38. VIETNAM “Underground” churches faced “intensified” persecution, and new government regulations tightened state control of religious material such as the September 2025 Code of Conduct for Religious Teachers and Personnel. See p. 14. CHINA Repression of religion is integral to the state and Christians live out their faith in extreme secrecy, with reports that people even keep their beliefs hidden from their spouses. Believers make up a large number of those in prisons and labor camps. See p. 30. NORTH KOREA
ERITREA
BURMA (MYANMAR)
SUDAN
In the midst of civil war, Sudan is enduring the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, bordering on “genocide," where persecution of Christians is increasing: churches attacked, priests tortured and Christians pressured to convert. See p. 34.
While in the last few months under examination Christians were released and there were no new mass arrests, nevertheless the general picture has remained one of consistent intrusive interference in religious life. See p. 18.
The military junta continues to commit serious human rights violations including attacks on religious sites — with claims 300+ churches have been laid waste. Some ministers of religion have been kidnapped or even killed. See p. 13.
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