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In 2008, the country of Nepal underwent a historic transition to become a secular republic. The monarchy had been abolished, and a constitutional republic was established instead. As part of the process, the constitution guaranteed religious freedom for all citizens, and Hinduism lost its status as the official religion of the nation.

Russian authorities have classified a growing number of organizations with foreign associations as "undesirable." Whenever this designation is determined, any individuals and institutions allegedly having connections to these listed organizations are at risk of prosecution.

In recent weeks, guards have been stationed outside St. Peter Evangelical Church, the oldest Protestant church in Iran, as governing authorities carry out a planned seizure of the building and surrounding property. First built in 1876, the church occupied a 10-acre plot of land in Tehran. Although an order was issued several years ago, authorities officially seized control of the site last month.

In 2014, Shahzad Masih and his wife Shama were falsely accused of burning the Quran. Militant Muslim leaders had incited villagers to attack the young Christian couple, resulting in a frenzied mob of hundreds participating in a series of torturous events that culminated in the believers' tragic deaths. Shama, who was five months pregnant at the time, was brutally killed along with her husband and thrown into a burning brick kiln. (VOMC's initially posted Persecution & Prayer Alert about this fatal incident may be reviewed here.)

Zhang Mei served as a lay leader in house churches across Yueyang, Hunan Province, for over 30 years. Zhang and her daughter, Li Dixuan, have since left China and are now living in Texas, where Li has married an American citizen. The mother and daughter have both applied for asylum in the United States.

During a hot summer day on June 22nd, a Christian man named Sadique Masih was working at a brick kiln when he paused for a drink of water. Reaching for the nearest cooler, he took a sip. Tragically, that simple action cost him his life.

In Pakistan, the punishment for a blasphemy conviction is the death penalty. While no one has yet been executed under these laws, many allegations frequently result in lengthy legal battles, prolonged imprisonment, and significant other hardships for the accused and their families.

A historic Christian compound in Tehran, which was established in 1876 and home to Iran's oldest Protestant church, is facing possible confiscation by the country's government. The recent threat marks the culmination of a long-standing legal battle that started over 25 years ago.

More than 180 Christian families from 32 villages in the Kanker district of Chhattisgarh have reportedly been denied access to communal water supplies and livelihood opportunities for refusing to renounce their faith in Jesus.

In December 2025, the Yazhong Church (also referred to as the Yayang Church) was targeted during an intense government campaign, resulting in the arrests of hundreds of believers. The following month, large numbers of police surrounded the main church building in Wenzhou, setting up barricades to block any views of the worship facility. At the time of the blockage, there were also concerns that the building may potentially risk demolishment. (For more details, see this page.)