Five young Muslims have been brought to trial over the killing of three Christian men in Turkey in April. Emre Gunaydin, Abuzer Yildrim, Hamit Ceker, Cuma Ozdemir and Salih Guler were accused of forming an armed group and organising the killings, which occurred at the Zirve Publishing House in Malatya. According to press reports, the prosecution is demanding multiple life sentences for the defendants, who allegedly slashed the throats of the Christians out of religious hatred.

The appeal of 44-year-old imprisoned pastor, Zauer Balaev, was rejected in a matter of minutes on October 3. Balaev, who led an unregistered Baptist congregation in the far north-west of Azerbaijan, was arrested on 20 May during a raid on an "illegal" church service. He was accused of violence against five police officers. Local Christians had high hopes that Balaev’s sentence would be overturned, saying that the accusations were false, and that the church specifically teaches members not to respond to persecution with violence. However, Balaev will now be sent to a labour camp to serve out the rest of his two-year sentence.

A Bible Society bookshop manager in Gaza was murdered on October 7. Rami Ayyad, 30, was kidnapped on Saturday October 6 by an unknown group after he locked up his bookshop at around 4.30pm. His body was found early the next day with bullet and stab wounds. The attack has shaken the small Christian community in Gaza – who number around 2,500 amongst a Muslim population of 1.5 million. Ayyad is survived by his children, George (2), Wisam (9 months) and his wife, Paulina, who is expecting their third child.

Ayyad ran the Teacher’s Bookshop, a ministry of the Palestinian Bible Society and the Gaza Baptist Church.

Eritrean gospel singer Helen Berhane and her daughter have finally been granted asylum in Europe, 11 months after she fled to Sudan. The 32-year-old gospel singer was one of the most high-profile Christian prisoners of conscience under the Eritrean government. She was originally imprisoned – illegally, without trial – in 2004 after the release of her album (which appealed to Christian youth).

During her incarceration, Ms. Berhane spent long periods of time in shipping containers and underground cells. She is still receives medical treatment for injuries acquired during torture in custody; her legs are severely damaged. Though she was given multiple opportunities to renounce her faith, she repeatedly refused.

Though brutal and agonizing, Helen’s experiences are quite common to Eritrean prisoners of conscience who are suffering for their faith. In 2002 the Eritrean authorities enacted legislation requiring all religious groups to close except Orthodox, Catholic, Lutheran and Muslim faiths. At the moment there are over 2,000 Protestant Christians imprisoned by Eritrean authorities for holding steadfastly to their belief in Jesus Christ.