Military troops from Saudi Arabia, police from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain security forces used tear gas, armoured vehicles and helicopters to drive out anti-government protesters from a square…
Plans in the kingdom of Bahrain to build the nation's largest Roman Catholic Church have been challenged by complaints from Sunni Muslim clerics who have signed a petition against any…
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa released 25 political ‘prisoners of conscience’ then left the country for Saudi Arabia for consultations after a week of anti-regime protests. Those released included…
A lawyer from Alexandria has submitted a report to the public prosecutor requesting that Egypt's Coptic Christians be excluded from the committee forming the nation's new constitution. Sherif Gadallah claimed…
Exercising the right to freedom of religion or belief without state permission is illegal in Azerbaijan, in defiance of international human rights standards. However nearly 19 years after gaining state…
Following a raid on a Baptist worship meeting in Neftechala, Pastor Telman Aliev, his wife and all Church members were summoned for police questioning on 23 December and threatened with…
Three Christian communities in Azerbaijan's second city Gyanja have been banned from meeting for worship.. Babek Sadykov of Gyanja Police completely denied this, claiming to Forum 18 news that ‘no…
Four Baptists in Azerbaijan were each given a five day jail term after a police raid on a Harvest Festival celebration in a private home, Forum 18 News Service has…
Tough regulations have made it difficult for churches to complete necessary registration. The process is ‘mired in bureaucracy’ and applications are often refused. State opposition has become the ‘biggest obstacle’…
The leaders of two small Baptist churches in north-west Azerbaijan have been given heavy fines for holding worship services – and threatened with even tougher penalties unless they stop. At…