Human rights activists sound the alarm: persecution of Christians in the world has sharply increased

Persecution of Christians around the world has increased significantly over the past year, showing an increase in both scale and severity. This was stated by human rights activists during the presentation of the annual reports «Religious Freedom» and «Persecution and Discrimination against Christians» published by the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR) in Berlin.

According to The Christian Post, experts emphasize that the rise of authoritarian regimes, religious nationalism and military conflicts are key factors in the deteriorating situation of believers.

Thomas Schirmacher, president of ISHR and former general secretary of the World Evangelical Alliance, noted that Christians face not only direct violence such as murder, kidnapping and terrorist attacks, but also legal restrictions, social discrimination, control of worship services and pressure on church life. He identified two main causes of growing persecution: dictatorial regimes that perceive Christians as a threat (including China, Cuba, and North Korea), and paramilitary religious movements such as Islamic extremists in Africa and Asia that systematically attack believers.

A new ISHR report highlights Nigeria and Pakistan as some of the most dangerous regions for Christians. In Africa, Islamist groups including Boko Haram, the Islamic State of West Africa, and Fulani Muslim militias regularly attack Christian communities, burn churches, and kidnap people. For Nigeria, which could become the world’s third most Christian country by 2050, emergency alert and evacuation systems are desperately needed to prevent more massacres.

In Pakistan, researchers say Christians suffer from blasphemy laws, often used for revenge or pressure. Christian girls are regularly victimized by kidnapping, violence and forced marriages. ISHR also names Egypt, Syria, India, Myanmar, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Iran and Egypt among the countries with the highest levels of persecution, where religion is closely tied to political control.

Johan Mattis, political representative of the German Evangelical Alliance, drew attention to the situation in Ukraine. He condemned Russia’s systematic repression of independent Protestant communities in the occupied territories. According to him, by mid-2023, Russian authorities had closed almost all independent churches in the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. Buildings of those who refuse to cooperate are being destroyed or transferred to the control of the Russian Orthodox Church.

In light of these disturbing trends, ISHR calls on governments and international organizations to take active action to protect religious freedom, recognized as a basic human right. «When freedom of faith ends, all other freedoms begin to disintegrate,» summarized Thomas Schirmacher. Thomas Rachel, the German government’s Commissioner for Freedom of Religion, emphasized that protecting faith contributes to world peace and stability: «When governments neglect freedom of conscience, violence increases. Dialogue between religions can be a path to peace».

Recall that according to the latest World Watch List 2025 report published by Open Doors US, more than 380 million Christians worldwide face persecution because of their faith. That’s one in seven believers in the world. Despite the growing pressure, Christian communities continue to exist and even grow in the countries with the highest levels of persecution.