NORTH KOREA  For Christians imprisoned there, the chief objective is to make them denounce their belief in the God of heaven. That is why they are beaten if they are caught looking heavenwards. One form of torture is to force them to sit cross-legged on cold cement floors with head bowed from 5am to 10.00pm.

NIGERIA  The Nigerian army has killed Bukar Shekau, the deputy leader of the Islamic group believed responsible for violence in Bauchi town this year, and the violent attacks during the last weekend of July on government facilities and churches in four northern and central states. Over 600 people have died in the July attacks.   CSW                                           

VIETNAM   Over 100 police and security officials attacked about 150 Christians in Dong Hoi, capital city of Quang Binh province, on July 20, firing teargas into the crowd and assaulting believers with batons, sticks and stun guns. More than 20 believers were injured and dozens loaded into police vans.

These Christians of Tam Toa parish have met for open-air services on the church compound, or in homes since their church was badly damaged in the Vietnam War.

On July 26, Father Paul Dinh Phu Nguyen was attacked by a mob on his way to celebrate mass at Tam Toa. He was visited in hospital by Father Peter Nguyen The Binh, who was thrown from an upstairs hospital window by a gang and is in a coma.

Catholics have since carried out mass demonstrations.

CHURCH FINED IN BELARUS

On July 14, a registered church in the town of Baranovichi, Belarus was fined 350,000 Belarusian roubles for activity which officials claim violated the Code of Administrative Violations. This was the maximum fine under this article. The congregation insists the service was within the terms of the statute.

On June 21, officials of the local Ideology Department noticed that members of the New Generation Full Gospel church had placed posters around town advertising a special Sunday morning prayer service.

Half an hour before the scheduled service, the chief specialist of the department arrived at the church, accusing believers of "activity of a religious organisation outside the statute." Forum18

EGYPT

Police arrested a Coptic Christian man and woman for allegedly burning down their own house church in the village of Ezbet Basillious on July 11. Christians in the village believe the arson attack and subsequent arrests of believers indicate local police corruption and collusion.

Egyptian State Security Investigations officers have since followed up eyewitness testimonies ignored by local police and have arrested three Muslim suspects who were seen entering the church with cans of kerosene and leaving shortly afterwards shouting "Allahu Akbar.  Compass

A female convert to Christianity, who was arrested at Cairo  Airport as she tried to leave Egypt, is still in prison. 

At the court hearing on July 15, the trial was re-scheduled to October 14 and she was sent back to prison. She has been charged with identity theft rather than conversion from Islam. 

SOMALIA

Mohammed Sheikh Abdiraman, a convert from Islam to Christianity, was murdered on July 20 in the city of Mahadday Weyne, Somalia by members of al-Shabaab, a militant group with ties to Al-Qaeda. He had been a Christian for 15 years and was the leader of a group of underground believers. He is survived by two children aged 10 and 15.  Compass

CUBA

A sentence of six years imprisonment and confiscation of his family home were announced against Pastor Omar Gude Pérez on July 9 2009, despite credible claims that he was falsely charged due to his leadership role in the ‘Apostolic Reformation’, a fast growing Christian organisation.

His wife, Kenia, has claimed false documents and testimonies were presented in court.

He has been in prison awaiting trial for over a year. The initial charges of “Human Trafficking” were dropped in March 2009 due to there being no evidence.

In mid-April new charges of Falsification of Documents and Illicit Economic Activities were filed. The prosecution also accused him of “counter-revolutionary conduct and attitudes.”

There has been an increase in reported violations of religious liberty since Raul Castro took power in early 2008.  CSW