FAITH & FREEDOM NEWS
Truth · Liberty · Global Faith Affairs
Religious Freedom & PersecutionAid to the Church in Need’s “Persecuted and Forgotten” 2024–2026 report examines 18 countries where religious freedom violations are of particular concern, finding that persecution has intensified in many regions.
Those are the words of Solomon Ako, a Christian from northern Nigeria who was kidnapped and tortured but refused to deny Christ. His story is shocking, but perhaps more shocking is that it is not all that unusual. The Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) report Persecuted and Forgotten shows that the oppression of Christians remains a growing global human rights crisis, with believers facing mounting pressure from extremist violence, authoritarian governments and ongoing conflict.
The latest edition examines the situation for Christians in 18 countries where religious freedom violations are of particular concern. Drawing on testimony from Church leaders, eyewitnesses and local Christian communities, the report reveals how persecution has intensified in many regions between 2024 and 2026. Through testimony, case studies and country analysis, it exposes the reality faced by Christians living under authoritarian regimes, religious nationalism and extremist violence.
Watch: The Voice of the Persecuted Church
China · Iran · Nicaragua
In China, restrictions on underground churches have intensified, with tighter state control over religious teaching and practice. In Iran, arrests of Christians have increased sharply as believers are increasingly treated as suspected foreign agents. In Nicaragua, the government has expanded its crackdown, arresting, imprisoning and exiling Christian leaders.
India · Pakistan
In India, anti-conversion laws and rising Hindu nationalist rhetoric have driven hundreds of incidents targeting Christians, including attacks on churches and worshipers. In Pakistan, forced conversion and marriage of Christian girls is described as endemic, and blasphemy accusations continue to generate fear and insecurity.
Northern Nigeria · Central Sahel · Burkina Faso
Six of the top 10 countries in the 2026 Global Terrorism Index were in Africa. In regions such as northern Nigeria and the Central Sahel, terrorist groups have attacked churches, clergy and Christian villages, and kidnappings, murders and beheadings are all too common. Millions of Christians have been affected by mass displacement, part of which is driven by religious hatred, as extremist groups drive out communities from Burkina Faso to Nigeria.
Lebanon · Syria
In southern Lebanon, attacks triggered a mass exodus that left Christian communities as ghost towns. In Syria, leading clerics publicly warned of a possible existential threat to the church amid reports that its Christian population has declined by more than 80% since 2011. In some regions, Christians face the daily threat of abduction, violence and forced displacement.
Six countries are highlighted by ACN, offering what it calls just a glimpse into the reality faced by persecuted and forgotten Christians around the world.
Terrorist attacks continue to uproot communities, close churches and threaten Christian life.
Read Burkina Faso’s ReportReligious communities face increasing regulation, surveillance and restrictions on worship and ministry.
Read China’s ReportChristians increasingly experience harassment, discrimination and attacks linked to rising religious nationalism.
Read India’s ReportExtremist groups and militants continue to devastate Christian communities, leaving millions displaced.
Read Nigeria’s ReportChristian girls and young women continue to face abduction, forced religious conversion and marriage.
Read Pakistan’s ReportWith political upheaval and violence affecting minority groups, the Christian population continues to decline.
Read Syria’s ReportPersecuted and Forgotten is not simply a catalog of suffering. It is a call to respect religious freedom, a fundamental human right enshrined in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but a right that millions of Christians are currently denied.
Read or order the full report. Persecuted and Forgotten examines 18 countries, revealing many more stories of discrimination, violence and resilience, and highlighting where religious freedom remains under threat today.
Questions? Email ACN UK or call 020 8642 8668.
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