Eritrea:

Helen Berhane – the Eritrean gospel singer, bible teacher, human rights advocate, CSW board member, and former prisoner of conscience – has been insulted and threatened by Canada-based YouTuber, Selemun Syum.

Mr Syum has been harassing Helen for three years. Helen says the harassment began after she spoke out against the use of rape as a weapon of war during the Tigray crisis. Then in September he broadcast a video, ominously encouraging viewers in the Eritrean diaspora to ‘deal with her’.

Among other things, Mr Syum claimed Helen had lied about her imprisonment and torture. This is completely false. CSW worked on Helen’s case from her imprisonment in 2004, until she was granted asylum in Denmark in 2007. Her 32-month ordeal has been confirmed by former prisoners, and documented by several other organisations. 

According to our sources, Mr Syum (who says he is a Christian) was granted asylum in Canada along with his family, on the grounds of having fled persecution. However, he has used his YouTube channel to support the Eritrean regime and threaten its opponents since November 2020, when Eritrea joined Ethiopian forces in attacking the Tigray region.

Pakistan:

On 12 September a police officer, Syed Khan, fatally shot Abdul Ali while he was in police custody. Mr Ali had been arrested the day before, following accusations that he had made derogatory remarks towards the Prophet Muhammed.

After Mr Ali’s arrest, a mob of residents surrounded the police station. They demanded that the police hand him over to them so that they could kill him. At one point, a man hurled a grenade at the police station, while a group of Islamists briefly blocked a key road in the city, demanding punishment for Mr Ali.

Pakistan’s blasphemy laws remain a dangerous driver of religious extremism in the country. The killing of a suspect in custody is unusual, but highlights the ongoing tensions related to religious offenses. It adds to a troubling pattern of violence against blasphemy suspects in Pakistan.

'Regardless of the accusations against him, it was the duty of the police to protect him,' said CSW’s Founder President, Mervyn Thomas. 'Who will ensure the safety of such victims when the police itself is involved in such acts of violence?'

Vietnam:

On 30 September, a Thai court ruled that it would be lawful for Vietnam to extradite a prominent human rights activist, Y Quyhn Bdap. If sent back to Vietnam, he is certain to face torture and brutal conditions.

Mr Bdap is the founder of Montagnards Stand for Justice (MSFJ), which specialises in defending the rights of the Montagnard minority ethnic group. MSFJ methodically reports on the harassment of the Montagnards by the Vietnamese government, which declared MSFJ to be a terrorist organisation earlier this year.

 Prior to this, Mr Bdap – along with nearly 100 other members of the Montagnard ethnic group – had been charged in connection to various terrorism-related crimes. In reality, they are being targeted for defending human rights.

 Since his arrest in June 2024, Mr Bdap has only had visits from his lawyers and translators. He was allowed only a few minutes with his wife at the courthouse before his trial began. They were not allowed to touch, and he has not seen his children since his arrest.

 Thai prisons only allow inmates one book a month, so Mr Bdap recently requested a bible in his native language.

Sudan:

 Christians in Al Thora Mobe village (a suburb of Wad Madani, Gezira State) have reported being forced to convert to Islam by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which controls the area.

The RSF – one of the warring parties in Sudan’s ongoing conflict – has controlled Al Thora Mobe village since December 2023.

The village is in an area with little to no infrastructure, but has been home to Christians who fled the war in the Nuba Mountains in 2011. It has five churches and two Christian schools.

‘We live under miserable conditions and lack all basic needs’, our source said. They explained that it is also dangerous to flee, as the RSF has surrounded the village and accuses anyone who tries to leave the area of being affiliated with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).

The RSF and SAF are responsible for an appalling range of human rights violations. United Nations experts recently reported that some may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

‘The gravity of these findings underscores the urgent and immediate action to protect civilians,’ said Mohamed Chande Othman, Chair of the UN Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan. ‘The people of Sudan deserve a future marked by peace, prosperity, and respect for human rights.’

Breakthrough in Mexico:

 An agreement has been reached in Hidalgo, meaning that over 150 Christians should now be able to return home!

 These Protestant families – a minority in their community – have been displaced since April, when they were forced from the villages of Rancho Nuevo and Coamila. They’ve been relying on local churches for food and had to use river water for bathing and drinking. Many experienced illness and infection as a result, including children and the elderly.

 Under the agreement, electricity and water services have been reconnected to the homes of those who were displaced. They have been given a set time period to review the conditions of their homes and land, and have the right to access state programmes for aid, if needed. 

We will be watching to ensure that the promises of the agreement are upheld.