Türkiye Labels Christians as ‘National Security Threats’ to Justify Mass Expulsions

Speaking today at the OSCE Warsaw Human Dimension Conference, Lidia Rieder, Legal Officer for ADF International warned that the government of Türkiye is systematically targeting Christians under the guise of “national security,” expelling hundreds of foreign believers and leaving local congregations without spiritual leadership.

Lies weiter

Following Prime Minister’s Rejection, Egyptian Christians Petition Government  in Case to Recognize Easter Sunday as a Public Holiday 

Christian persecution in Egypt

  • First hearing held in case to officially recognize Easter; presents new opportunity for Egypt to advance religious freedom protections, as petitioners seek to end requirement for millions of Christians to work or attend school on Easter Sunday.

  • ADF International supports the petition to protect Egyptian Christians’ right to worship on Easter in an ancient cradle of Christianity.

Christian persecution in Egypt

CAIRO  — 13 OCTOBER. Over the weekend, Egypt’s Administrative Court heard an appeal challenging the Prime Minister’s denial of a petition calling for Easter Sunday to be recognized as an official public holiday. The petition, submitted by lawyers and citizens from diverse religious backgrounds and supported by ADF International, urges the government to designate Easter—one of the most important and widely celebrated days on the Christian calendar—as a public holiday. The case will now move forward to the State Commissioners Authority, who will consider the matter on January 17, 2026.  

Egypt has one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, and Christians continue to make up over 10% of the country’s population. Despite the estimated 10 million Christians living in Egypt, Easter Sunday is not currently recognized as a public holiday. Because Sunday is a regular working day in the country, rather than part of the weekend, many Christians are forced to attend work or school on Easter Sunday.  

“This petition represents an important opportunity to advance the right of Christians to freely practice their faith in Egypt. For millions of Egyptian Christians, recognizing Easter as a public holiday would mean being able to fully observe one of the most sacred days of their faith without having to choose between work or school and their religious practices."

- Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Advocacy for Global Religious Freedom at ADF International

“For years, I’ve been forced to work on Easter Sunday. I’ve been denied the ability to attend church and celebrate with my family,” said one government employee at Egypt’s Ministry of Higher Education.  

Even when accommodations are requested, they are often denied. As one Christian lawyer in Cairo explained, “I was required to appear in court on Easter Sunday. The judge refused to reschedule. I missed church and family traditions.” 

Other religious holidays, including Orthodox Christmas and Muslim celebrations, are already officially recognized by the Egyptian government. The lack of recognition of Easter forces Christians to choose between observing their faith and fulfilling their professional or academic duties. 

“This petition represents an important opportunity to advance the right of Christians to freely practice their faith in Egypt,” said Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Global Religious Freedom for ADF International. “For millions of Egyptian Christians, recognizing Easter as a public holiday would mean being able to fully observe one of the most sacred days of their faith without having to choose between work or school and their religious practices. It’s a meaningful step toward ensuring their rights are respected.” 

The petition draws on both Egyptian constitutional provisions, such as the guarantees of religious freedom and equality under Articles 53 and 64, and Egypt’s obligations under international human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Labour Organization’s Convention No. 111, which prohibits religious discrimination in employment. The historical precedent for recognizing Easter as a public holiday in Egypt dates back to the monarchy, which formally acknowledged and observed it as a holy day. Petitioners note that several other countries in the Middle East already recognize Easter, and that doing so in Egypt would mark an important step forward for religious freedom in the region. 

“Recognizing Easter as a public holiday is essential because it removes a significant barrier for millions of Egyptian Christians who currently must choose between their faith and their work or education,” said Haytham Ereifej,  attorney and representative of ADF International in the Middle East. “This change upholds their constitutional and international rights, ensuring equal treatment and respect for religious freedom across Egypt.” 

ADF International is supporting this effort and will continue to advocate for the protection of religious freedom in Egypt and around the world. 

Background

ADF International is committed to promoting religious freedom for Christians and other religious minorities in Egypt. Through engagement with local partners and international bodies, ADF International has consistently advocated for the rights of all Egyptians to freely choose, speak about, and live out their faith. Such rights are consistent with Egypt’s constitution, which explicitly prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion, as well as its commitments under numerous international treaties.  

The petition to recognize Easter Sunday as a national holiday reflects a broader grassroots effort, supported by ADF International, to help build a culture of genuine religious equality in Egypt, where every citizen is free to live out their faith without penalty or restriction. 

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UN Expert Calls for Global Ban on Surrogacy in Landmark Report

  • Ahead of her report presentation to the UN General Assembly, UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, Reem Alsalem, condemns surrogacy at high-level UN event, stating the practice commodifies women and children. 
  • ADF International co-presents at event hosted by Italian government; applauds the call to ban the practice globally. 

NEW YORK CITY (8 October 2025) – Today, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, Reem Alsalem, formally spoke out against the practice of surrogacy at a UN General Assembly event. She stated, “[Surrogacy] is clearly responsible for inflicting large-scale violence, abuse, and exploitation on women and children.” Alsalem is set to present her latest report on Oct. 10 before the UN General Assembly. In it, she calls for a global ban on all forms of surrogacy, warning that the practice is “characterized by exploitation and violence against women and children, including girls.”  

The report calls on States to adopt a legally binding international instrument prohibiting all forms of surrogacy and urges immediate action to criminalize the commissioning of children and its facilitation by surrogacy agencies and clinics, ban its advertisement, protect women already engaged in surrogacy arrangements through legal support and psychosocial services, and ensure that children’s rights to identity, care, and protection are upheld. 

“[Surrogacy] is clearly responsible for inflicting large-scale violence, abuse, and exploitation on women and children.”

- Reem Alsalem, UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls

Hosted by the Government of Italy, the event comes amid growing international momentum to ban surrogacy. In 2024, Italy became the first country to ban surrogacy both within and outside its borders. Last month, Slovakia adopted a constitutional amendment banning the practice.  

“Surrogacy should not be prohibited only domestically, but it should also be addressed internationally,” said Eugenia Rocella, Italian Minister for Family, Natality, and Equal Opportunities. “The Italian Government is convinced that… existing international treaties on the protection of women and children’s rights should be updated to explicitly include surrogacy as a practice of undermining dignity and entailing exploitation.” 

The report details how surrogacy intentionally separates children from their mothers, severing natural maternal bonds and undermining their rights to identity, care, and protection from violence. It also emphasizes that even “altruistic” surrogacy arrangements harm both women and children by treating human life as a product. 

“An inherent concern in surrogacy lies in the contractual programming of separation between a woman and the child that she carries, which risks treating the child as a passive object of an agreement between adults or as a commodity,” the report states. ADF International, who participated in welcomes the report as a landmark moment for the global movement to end surrogacy. At the event ahead of the presentation, the legal organization highlighted the need for immediate action from states to ban surrogacy. 

“Surrogacy rests on a system of violence that dehumanizes women and children alike. States need to develop a coordinated international response to end the grave human rights violations inherent in this practice,” said Giorgio Mazzoli, Director of UN Advocacy at ADF International. “We commend the Special Rapporteur for exposing the harms of this exploitative industry and urge governments around the world to united in ending surrogacy in all its forms at all levels, including through the adoption of a UN treaty banning the practice globally.” 

The organization was among the promoters of a civil society letter in support of the Special Rapporteur’s report, signed by over 180 NGOs, further emphasizing the call on States to globally ban surrogacy.  

Background

The UN expert report describes the global surrogacy industry as a rapidly growing market, valued at $14.4 billion in 2023 and projected to reach $96.6 billion by 2033. Despite its lucrative nature, the overwhelming majority of profits go to agencies and brokers, while surrogate mothers bear the brunt of serious physical, emotional, and financial risks. 

 Women undergoing surrogacy face increased rates of pregnancy complications, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Many are subjected to coercion, exploitation, and invasive medical procedures, and even “altruistic” arrangements often involve separating children from their mothers, commodifying women’s reproductive capacities, and prioritizing the desires of adults over the rights of the child. 

ADF International remains committed to protecting the dignity of human life and safeguarding women and children from exploitation. The organization advocates for legal protections to end surrogacy and prevent the commodification of human life. 

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