Name: Stephen Masih Country/Area of Origin: Pakistan Background: Stephen Masih is a 40-year-old Pakistani Christian convert Imran Pura Badiana village, Sialkot District, Pakistan. Reason for Arrest: On 10 March 2019, Stephen Masih was engaging in an argument with his mother, sister, brother-in-law, and a few neighbors regarding a pigeon. During the dispute, Masih allegedly became …
Name: Stan Swamy (formally: Stanislaus Lourduswamy) Country/Area of Origin: India Background: Father Stan Swamy was a renowned Jesuit priest and respected activist for human rights for marginalized the Adivsasi tribal community Reason for Arrest: On 8 October 2020, then 83-year-old Father Swamy was arrested and charged with being a member of a former organization that …
Name: Adil (Adiljan Tuniyaz) Country/Area of Origin: China Background: Adil Tuniyaz, 47, is a reputable Uyghur poet, author, and journalist from Kaghilik, Xinjiang Reason for Arrest: In late December 2017, likely on the 25th, Tuniyaz was arrested along with his wife, Nezire Muhammad Salih, and his eldest son Imran. Multiple sources claim that the couple …
Name: Nadeem Samson Country/Area of Origin: Pakistan Background: Nadeem Samson, 47, is a Pakistani Christian who was falsely accused of blasphemy. Reason for Arrest: On 24 November 2017, Samson was arrested after two men named Abdul Huq and Sakhawat Dogar accused him of posting blasphemous remarks on his Facebook page; they had urged Pakistani authorities …
Name: Meron Gebreselasie Country/Area of Origin: Eritrea Background: Prior to his arrest, Gebreselasie was the pastor of Massawa Rhema Evangelical Church and also worked as an anesthetist at Massawa Hospital in Eritrea. Reason for Arrest: On 3 June 2004, Pastor Gebreselasie was arrested immediately following a visit to his home by Pastor Tesfatsion Hagos of …
Name: Hossein Kadivar Country/Area of Origin: Iran Background: Kadivar is one of the group of nine Iranian Christian converts that were arrested throughout January an February 2019. Reason for Arrest: On 29 January 2019, Hossein Kadivar was arrested with Khalil Dehghanpour while attending a house church. Their arrests coincided with the detention of their Iranian Christian …
Name: Khalil Dehghanpour Country/Area of Origin: Iran Background: Dehghanpour is one of the group of nine Iranian Christian converts that were arrested throughout January an February 2019. Reason for Arrest: On 29 January 2019, Khalil Dehghanpour was arrested with Hossein Kadivar while attending a house church. Their arrests coincided with the detention of their Iranian …
Name: Kamal Naamanian Country/Area of Origin: Iran Background: Naamanian is one of the group of nine Iranian Christian converts that were arrested throughout January and February 2019. Reason for Arrest: On 15 February 2019, Kamal Naamanian was arrested with Mohammed Vafadar and Shahrooz Eslamdoust during a house church raid. Their arrests coincided with the detention of …
Name: Mohammed Vafadar Country/Area of Origin: Iran Background: Vafadar is one of the group of nine Iranian Christian converts that were arrested throughout January and February 2019. Reason for Arrest: On 15 February 2019, Mohammed Vafadar was arrested with Shahrooz Eslamdoust and Kamal Naamanian during a house church raid. Their arrests coincided with the detention …
Name: Abdolreza Ali (Matthias) Haghnejad Country/Area of Origin: Iran Background: Haghnejad is one of the group of nine Iranian Christian converts that were arrested throughout January and February 2019. Reason for Arrest: In February 2019, Abdolreza Haghnejad was arrested, coinciding with the detention of his Iranian Christian colleagues – Shahrooz Eslamdoust, Khalil Dehghanpour, Hossein Kadivar, Kamal …
