Name: Shagufta Kausar (F) and Shafqat Emmanuel (M) Country/Area of Origin: Pakistan Background: Shagufta Kausar and Shafqat Emmanuel are a Pakistani Christian couple who, prior to their arrest, lived with their four young children in a Christian community in Gojra, Punjab. Shagufta has been the sole breadwinner of the family since her husband Shafqat became …
Name: Mohammad Reza Omidi Country/Area of Origin: Islamic Republic of Iran Background: Omidi is an Iranian Christian convert who, alongside three other Christian men, have been leading the “Church of Iran” since Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani’s most recent arrest in July 2017. Reason for Arrest: Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence arrested Omidi and three other church leaders …
Name: Pastor A Dao Country/Area of Origin: Vietnam (Ethnic Ha Lang Montagnard) Background: A Dao is a Protestant pastor of the Montagnard Evangelical Church of Christ advocating for religious freedom for his fellow church members in Vietnam’s Central Highlands and elsewhere. Reason for Arrest: In August 2016, he attended the conference on Freedom of Religion …
Name: Ms. Do Thi Hong Country/Area of Origin: Vietnam (Ethnic Vietnamese) Background: Follower of the Buddhist sect An Doan Dai Dao (ADDD) Reason for Arrest: In early February 2012, the government of Phu Yen Province cracked down on An Dan Dai Dao (Blessed Flock of the Great Way, Vietnamese abbreviation: ADDD), a religious organization aiming …
Name: Alimjan Yimit (in Chinese: Alimujiang Yimit) Country/Area of Origin: Xinjiang province, China. Background: Mr. Yimit is church leader of Uyghur ethnicity. Reason for Arrest: Kashgar/Kashi Police arrested Mr. Yimit on January 2008. He was accused of “leaking state secrets” under Article 103 and 111 of the Chinese Criminal Code. The Working Group on …
Name: Ming Zhang Country/Area of Origin: Kuandian, Dandong City, Liaoning Province, China Background: Male, 60 years old, worked at Bank of China in Donggang City before the persecution on Falun Gong began. Mr. Zhang has been repeatedly arrested for his faith in Falun Gong. Reason for Arrest: On June 29, 2018, Ming Zhang and …
Name: Zhenyu Ma Country/Area of Origin: Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, China Background: Male, 57 years old, worked as the chief engineer of the 14th Research Institute of China Electronic Technology Group Corporation in Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province before the persecution on Falun Gong began in 1999. Reason for Arrest: Mr. Ma was repeatedly arrested …
Name(s): Guofu Yao and Xin Liang Country/Area of Origin: Nanyang City, Henan Province, China Background: Guofu Yao, male, 66 years old (date of birth: 2/9/1953), a retired Chinese teacher of Nanyang No. 4 Primary School. He started to practice Falun Gong in 1996. Guofu Yao was detained for 10 days in September 2015 while …
