Macron Visit Highlights Syria’s Uncertain Future for Religious Minorities July 9, 2026 — Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa had hoped to showcase his country’s transformation toward democracy during French President Emmanuel Macron’s historic visit to Damascus this week. Instead, the visit was overshadowed by...
Iran Moves to Seize Historic Tehran Church as Pressure on Christians Escalates July 8, 2026 — Iranian authorities are moving to confiscate the country’s oldest Protestant church and ordering Christians to leave their homes, signaling a new escalation in the Islamic Republic’s decades-long campaign against Christianity. ...
EU Deepens Ties with Armenia During a Tense Moment for Religious FreedomJuly 7, 2026 — The European Union announced new economic assistance and expanded market access for Armenia, signaling deepening ties with the South Caucasus nation as it faces growing economic pressure from Russia. During...
Coalition Asks U.S. to Intervene in Case of Syrian ChristianJuly 2, 2026 — Advocacy groups recently wrote Thomas Barrack, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Türkiye and Envoy to Syria and Iraq, asking the U.S. to intervene in the detention of a Syrian...
No Going Back: Living Openly as a Christian Convert from YemenJune 24, 2026 — Amid economic collapse, widespread hunger, and frequent outbreaks of violence, Yemen is not an easy place for anyone to live these days. Much of the country is beyond the government’s...
Egyptian Christian Imprisoned for Social Media PostsJune 19, 2026 — On Jan. 3, Egyptian Christian Augustinos Samaan was sentenced to five years of hard labor after he was convicted of “contempt of religion” and “misuse of social media.” Samaan has...
Videos Show Damage to Historic Iraqi Assyrian Church June 19, 2026 — Videos circulating on social media this week appear to show extensive damage inside Mar Kiryakos Church in the village of Sharanish in Iraq’s Dohuk Governorate, prompting concern among Assyrians and...
Armenian PM Wins Reelection Amid Religious Freedom Concerns June 9, 2026 — Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has secured reelection in a closely watched parliamentary election, preserving his political mandate to continue peace negotiations with neighboring Azerbaijan and pursue closer ties with...
Egypt Grants Legal Status to 191 More Church Buildings May 28, 2026 — The Egyptian government released an order last week granting legal status to 191 church buildings that previously lacked official recognition. In total, 3,804 churches and related buildings have been approved...
Azerbaijan Demolishes Christian Places of Worship in Seized EnclaveMay 19, 2026 — Armenian Christian leaders and global religious freedom advocates are condemning Azerbaijan after satellite imagery confirmed the demolition of two Armenian churches in Stepanakert, the capital of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region...
Politics and the Power of the Persecuted Church in IranMay 12, 2026 — By Dr. Greg Cochran, ICC Fellow The global spotlight shines brightly on the Strait of Hormuz as the world watches powerful actors vying for success, waiting to see how this...
Growing Up Christian in the Churchless Kingdom of Saudi Arabia May 11, 2026 — Attacks on churches are a harsh reality in many countries. But Saudi Arabia is not one of them. The birthplace of both Islam and Wahhabi radicalism, this country of more than 35 million people...
Demolition of Monastery Highlights Strain on Christians in the Middle EastMay 8, 2026 — According to reporting by Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) last week, the Israeli military demolished a Catholic monastery and a nuns’ school in a southern Lebanese border village. The destruction...
Ruling Party in Armenia Releases Anti-Church Platform April 27, 2026 — Ahead of the June elections, Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract Party has published a political platform that calls for the removal of the Catholicos of All Armenians and outlines a politically led roadmap for restructuring the Armenian Apostolic...
Christian Sites Damaged, Destroyed in Southern Lebanon April 22, 2026 — Midway through a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, hundreds of thousands of Lebanese civilians are returning to their homes and villages after being displaced by escalating violence between Hezbollah forces...
Upcoming Trial Threatens Egyptian Christian ConvertApril 13, 2026 — An Egyptian Christian convert and internationally recognized prisoner of conscience, Said Abdelrazek, is facing an imminent court hearing that advocates warn could determine whether he lives or disappears into Egypt’s...
