28th
Jul
2022RECONNECTING WITH THE CHURCH THIS SUMMER
Release International has been out and about at the big church festivals
this summer, finding fresh and creative ways of connecting Christians with
the persecuted Church.
19
Jul
2022NIGERIA: SPIRAL OF VIOLENCE DIRECTED AT
CHRISTIANS
New reports highlight the alarming scale of rising violence in Nigeria –
much of which is directed at Christians, as terrorists attempt to Islamise
the nation. That violence is set to rise as Nigeria heads towards next
year’s presidential elections.
15
Jul
2022RUSSIA CLAMPS DOWN ON RELIGIOUS
OPPOSITION TO WAR IN UKRAINE
A second Russian Orthodox priest is facing criminal charges for
opposing Russia’s war against Ukraine.
08
Jul
2022RELEASE INTERNATIONAL ON TV
If you have Sky, Freeview HD or access to the web, you can now
watch stories about the work of Release International on TV.
Revelation TV’s The Persecuted Church programme highlights
remarkable stories of overcoming faith from around the world.
05
Jul
2022RELEASE HIGHLIGHTS PERSECUTION IN AFRICA
IN WESTMINSTER
Release International is partnering with Christians in Parliament to
host this year’s National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast. Release is
presenting the seminar Persecution in Africa: God’s Goodness in
Times of Trial.
04
Jul
2022UK FORB CONFERENCE – ‘HOW MANY MORE
CHRISTIANS MUST DIE FOR THEIR FAITH?’
Release International is calling on the UK government to make good
its promises to take a decisive stand against rapidly rising Christian
persecution around the world. Release is hosting a seminar highlighting
the fast-growing violence in the Sahel and Nigeria, and is calling on
governments to stop turning a blind eye to the slaughter.
28
Jun
2022DAY OF THE CHRISTIAN MARTYR
As growing numbers of Christians are being killed for their faith
around the world, Release International is calling on churches in the
UK and Ireland to remember modern-day martyrs for Christ and pray
for the persecuted.
06
Jun
2022PAKISTANI POLICE ‘REFUSING TO HELP’
ABDUCTED CHRISTIAN GIRL
A 15-year-old Christian girl in Faisalabad, Pakistan, is reported to
have been abducted, forced into marriage and converted to Islam.
However, it is claimed that police are refusing to help the family.
Nadeem Masih, a sanitation worker at a textile factory, told Morning…
06
Jun
2022BIKE PILGRIMS REACH MID-POINT
Release International’s Bike Pilgrims have reached the midpoint
of their epic cycle ride to support persecuted Christians.
01
Jun
2022MAJOR CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS GROWING
CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION
A key conference on Christian persecution is being staged in Truro
on June 6. Working alongside CSW, Aid to the Church in Need and
HART (Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust), Release International is
supporting A global persecution of Christians: Where do we go from here?
01
Jun
2022RELEASE INTERNATIONAL ON REVELATION TV
– THE PERSECUTED CHURCH
The work of Release International is featured in the June edition of
Revelation TV’s flagship programme: The Persecuted Church.
Co-presented and co-produced by Release International spokesman
Andrew Boyd, the programme covers a wide range of countries and
cases of Christians facing persecution.
27
May
2022UKRAINE: RELEASE PARTNERS TELL OF
COURAGE UNDER FIRE
Five Ukrainian Christians who were caring for hundreds sheltering
in a church basement until they were killed in the fighting have been
remembered by residents of Mariupol in Ukraine. Partners of Release
International broke the news of their story.
26
May
2022NOW KARNATAKA PASSES ANTI-CONVERSION LAW
Karnataka has become the latest state in India to pass a controversial
anti-conversion law to try to limit Christian witness.
24
May
2022ALL OUT FOR GOD? STAND WITH PERSECUTED
CHRISTIANS ON MAY 29
As the persecution of Christians continues to rise around the world,
Release International is encouraging churches to go All Out For God
and stand with persecuted believers.
16
May
2022NIGERIAN CHRISTIANS CALL FOR URGENT
PRAYER AFTER STUDENT’S MURDER
Christians in the northern Sokoto state of Nigeria are requesting
urgent prayer after rioters upset over the arrest of two Muslims in
connection with the barbaric killing of a Christian college student
attacked church buildings and looted and damaged Christian-owned
shops on…
16
May
2022NIGERIA: CALLS FOR NATIONWIDE PROTEST
AFTER CHRISTIAN STUDENT STONED AND BURNED
Nigeria’s Christians have called for a National Day of Protest and
government intervention after the stoning to death and burning of a
Christian student in Sokoto for alleged blasphemy. Deborah Samuel
(also known as Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu) was beaten to death and
burned after giving thanks to Christ for passing her exams on her college
WhatsApp chat.
16
May
2022ERITREAN CHRISTIANS MARK 20 YEARS OF
CHURCH CLOSURES
Christians in Eritrea mark 20 years of state persecution this month.
The East African dictatorship shut down most of its churches in May 2002,
outlawing every religion except Sunni Islam, Eritrean Orthodox,
Roman Catholicism and the Lutheran Church. And today, 20 years
later, the persecution continues. Release International is calling for full
religious freedom in the country, which has been described as the North
Korea of Africa.
14
May
2022LEAH SHARIBU – FIFTH BIRTHDAY IN CAPTIVITY
t’s been four long years since Islamic state terrorists abducted teenager
Leah Sharibu in Nigeria. May 14 was Leah’s 19th birthday –
her fifth in captivity.
05
May
2022KILLING OF NIGERIAN CHRISTIANS REACHES
NEW STATE
Six Christians were reported to have been murdered in the first terrorist
attack of its kind in Nigeria’s eastern Taraba state. After an explosion
killed the six believers and wounded more than a dozen others at a
Christian-owned market on April 19,…
05
May
2022IRAN: WOMAN CHURCH LEADER REPORTS FOR JAIL
Iranian Christians are calling for prayer as a Christian woman begins
a two-year prison sentence for leading an evangelical church. Fariba Dalir
was found guilty of ‘acting against national security by establishing and
leading an Evangelical Christian Church’.
26
Apr
2022CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION GROWING IN NIGERIA,
INDIA AND AFGHANISTAN, WARNS US COMMISSION
A leading US Commission is calling for India, Nigeria and Afghanistan
to be designated countries of particular concern because of the growing
threat to religious freedom in those nations. The United States Commission
on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has just published its 2022
Annual Report (Monday April 25). Its findings are in line with the recent
Persecution Trends report published by UK-based Release International,
which supports persecuted Christians around the world.