Christian Persecution: End of the year reports from the Voice of the Martyrs

Pakistan:

While Christianity has been a significant part of Pakistan’s cultural fabric for centuries, Islam remains the country’s dominant religion, thereby controlling much of society. Typically, the suffering of Christians has stemmed from two primary sources: 1) accusations of blasphemy leading to charges and imprisonment, and 2) the kidnapping of young women and girls who are subsequently forced to convert to Islam and marry their captors.

This year brought some minor yet notable changes. For example, known incidents of kidnapping and forcible marriages were reported on four occasions, which indicates a decrease from the total numbers reported in previous years. Newly enacted laws restricting underage marriages may have positively contributed to this improvement. However, young women remain at risk of being coerced to legally convert from their Christian faith and marry against their will.

Although false blasphemy charges remained a major concern, there have been encouraging developments within Pakistan’s judicial system. Several Christians who were accused or convicted of blasphemy had thankfully been acquitted in 2025. Additionally, the Islamabad High Court took note of a media investigation revealing a coordinated campaign to entrap innocent Christians, which led to the resignation of a Lahore High Court judge who was allegedly involved in the scheme.

Regrettably, during 2025, there were several instances in which acts of violence had been perpetrated against followers of Jesus. These incidents included a Christian worker who was physically beaten by his supervisor after refusing to convert to Islam, as well as a pastor who was assassinated because of his ministry activities. Other cases involved attacks on Christian groups that were attending church gatherings. One of those assaults targeted a van load of pilgrims who were travelling enroute to a religious site. 

India:

Anti-conversion laws in various states still present major challenges for Christians in this South Asian country. While many accusations have little to do with actual religious conversions, these laws are often used to shut down churches or punish individual believers. Additionally, such allegations frequently incite mob violence.

In at least two instances that occurred this year, governing officials publicly called for violence against Christians. One of these cases even recommended the death penalty for anyone involved in conversion activities. Within the states of Maharashtra and Uttarakhand, the implementation of new laws has created further obstacles for followers of Jesus.

Despite these hardships, the year of 2025 has brought about moments of Christian solidarity, where believers had united together to peaceably stand against the oppression they were encountering. There have also been some hopeful signs of progress, especially when India’s Supreme Court ordered a review of the various state-level anti-conversion laws. Along with the review, an October 17th Supreme Court ruling addressed multiple cases that took place in Uttar Pradesh, pointing out the deficiencies and declaring the state’s law to be “onerous” and “intrusive.”

Unfortunately, physical attacks targeting Christian individuals and groups have continued in various parts of the country during 2025. Not only have these assaults frequently involved mob violence, many believers experienced false accusations and legal challenges as a result of them. In tribal areas, Christian families were also expelled from their villages due to the attempts of local leaders to make their communities “Christian free.” Believers affected by the expulsions have been forced to find new homes in unfamiliar and distant locations. 

China:

Reports of persecution against Christians in China specifically involve opposition from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and their provincial counterparts. The country’s governing officials have mandated that all churches promote the Communist Party’s policies. Those refusing to comply inevitably encounter harassment or imprisonment. In an attempt to legitimize the detention of church leaders, authorities frequently charged Christians with “illegal business practices” or “illegally using information networks.” While some believers faced short administrative detentions without any formal charges (as a means of intimidation), others received lengthy sentences.

For believers who were released after serving their prison sentences, there remained severe restrictions. Pastor John Cao, who had been released from detainment in 2024 after enduring seven years of imprisonment, was refused the issuance of a passport (preventing him from travelling out of the country to be with his wife and children), despite the fact that he was granted permanent residency in the United States. Two other church leaders, whose sentences had been suspended in October, were subjected to constant surveillance – including facial-recognition check-ins three times daily. When the leaders failed to meet those requirements, they were returned to prison.

In another recent occurrence, which took place this past October, a large network of congregations under the leadership of the Beijing Zion Church were subjected to coordinated raids. These crackdowns led to the formal arrests of 18 church leaders who, at the time of publishing this report, are presently awaiting trial.

Iran:

As an Islamic theocracy, Iran is governed by strict Muslim laws. Even though Christianity is generally recognized and tolerated for those from traditional Armenian and Assyrian churches, any conversion from Islam to Christianity is strictly prohibited. Even believers from historic Christian communities have faced charges, as in the case of Pastor Joseph Shahbazian, an Armenian believer.

In 2025, most reports of persecution involved accusations of Iranians converting to Christianity or attending Christian meetings. These charges were frequently framed as “actions against national security,” participation in an “opposition group,” or “propaganda activities contrary to Islamic law.”

The living conditions of prisons throughout the country remain horrific. The most notable of them all remains to be the country’s notorious Evin Prison, which happens to be located in the capital city of Tehran. Although the facility was damaged during an Israeli airstrike that took place in June, there were no reports of Christian prisoners having been killed in the attack. For months, though, Evin’s inmates were detained in other overcrowded prison facilities until the repairs were completed.

Sadly, imprisoned believers in Iran have also been subjected to torture and very limited medical care. One Christian prisoner was beaten after requesting medical treatment for a serious heart condition. Another imprisoned follower of Jesus, Aida Najaflou, suffered a spinal fracture after falling from a top bunk in her cell. Initially denied any treatment, she finally received limited help when other inmates protested on her behalf. Despite Aida’s injuries and ongoing medical needs, she was recently sentenced to 17 years in prison. 

Nigeria:

Unlike some nations where persecution is government-instigated, believers in Nigeria – particularly those in northern parts of the country – are at greatest risk of life-threatening attacks perpetrated by their fellow Nigerians. In previous years, Islamic militant groups (such as Boko Haram) carried out their violent raids against Christian villages with impunity. In addition to slaying many innocent inhabitants, buildings and properties within these communities were destroyed. While other terrorist groups remain a major active threat to Christians residing in Nigeria, most of the attacks reported during 2025 were carried out by militant Fulani herdsmen.

Governing authorities have frequently cited economic reasons for the cause of these atrocities, reasoning that the nomad herdsmen merely sought the control of grazing areas belonging to local residents. Other common motives for the violent raids targeting Nigeria’s Christian communities – including the kidnapping of victims and looting of homes – have also been attributed to financial reasons.

Despite these contributing factors, religious opposition has clearly played a significant role in many of these brutal attacks. Perpetrators driven by militant Islamic ideologies have killed thousands of Christians this year alone by storming villages without warning, shooting indiscriminately at innocent citizens, and then destroying these victimized believers’ homes, churches, schools and other properties. One report estimates that more than 7,000 Christians were killed during the first seven months of 2025 alone, noting that a similar number of believers have been abducted.

The devastating violence recently received international attention when the U.S. administration designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” in early November. Questioning the extent to which the Nigerian government has actively worked to stop the ongoing carnage, the intervention of America’s military forces was threatened if serious action is not taken.

Despite renewed attention to the severity of Nigeria’s dire situation, a shocking incident occurred on November 21st when gunmen raided a Catholic boarding school, kidnapping more than 300 students. While 150 of the abducted children have since been recovered at the time of publishing this report, approximately 150 students and 12 staff members remain missing. 

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