U.S. Congress Introduces Resolution Condemning Persecution of Christians in Nigeria 

  • Resolution urges U.S. and international action to protect Nigerian Christians amid widespread religious persecution
  • ADF International endorses the resolution and applauds the call to further protect religious freedom in Nigeria following the Trump administration’s move to designate it as a “Country of Particular Concern“

WASHINGTON, D.C. (4 November 2025) – Today, U.S. Congressman Riley Moore (R-WV) introduced a resolution condemning the ongoing persecution of Christians in Nigeria and calling for urgent action following the United States government’s recent designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC). President Donald Trump recently asked Congressman Moore and the House Appropriations Committee to lead Congressional investigations and recommendations to combat the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. The designation recognizes the severe and systematic violations of religious freedom facing Nigerian Christians and opens the door for strong diplomatic and other measures to hold perpetrators accountable.

“Jihadists are carrying out a systematic campaign of widespread religiously-motivated attacks against Nigerian Christians. The evidence is overwhelming: targeted killings, massacres during holy days, and a death toll that exceeds the rest of the world combined,” said Sean Nelson, Senior Counsel for Global Religious Freedom at ADF International.

“We commend Congressman Moore for this decisive leadership in response to the President’s clarion call to defend persecuted Christians in Nigeria and globally. The United States must use every diplomatic and economic tool available to ensure that Christians in Nigeria can live and worship without fear of violence or death.”  

“We commend Congressman Moore for this decisive leadership in response to the President’s clarion call to defend persecuted Christians in Nigeria and globally. The United States must use every diplomatic and economic tool available to ensure that Christians in Nigeria can live and worship without fear of violence or death."

- Sean Nelson, Senior Counsel for Global Religious Freedom at ADF International

The resolution identifies “Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province, and Fulani militant groups” as the main jihadist groups targeting Christians in Nigeria, while also describing “the Nigerian Government’s failure to act in defense of Christians.” The resolution calls on the U.S. to pressure the Nigerian government to end impunity for attacks, proactively protect Christian communities and clergy from attacks, return internally-displaced persons to their homelands, and repeal the country’s draconian blasphemy laws and release prisoners detained for their faith. The resolution also calls for the delivery of humanity aid directly to victims in coordination with international nongovernmental and faith-based organizations 

Moore has previously introduced legislative measures addressing violations of religious freedom, underscoring the global crisis of Christian persecution. Today’s resolution continues that effort and reinforces bipartisan congressional concern regarding Nigeria’s record numbers of Christian deaths and violations against religious freedom.  

“This resolution condemns the horrific persecution of Christians in Nigeria. For far too long, the world has turned a blind eye to the suffering of innocent Christians—entire villages destroyed, churches burned, pastors tortured, families torn apart. This grave suffering must end now,” said Representative Riley Moore. 

“I’m calling on all my colleagues – both Republican and Democrat alike – to unite in defense of faith and freedom. The United States must make it clear that we will not tolerate the slaughter of Christians or the persecution of anyone for their belief in Jesus Christ. I want to thank President Trump for his bold and unwavering leadership in defense of Christians in Nigeria. His official designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern will save the lives of thousands of Christians.“  

The U.S. Congress has taken significant notice of the situation in Nigeria following the Trump administration’s designation of the country as a CPC. Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), who for years has led efforts to highlight the issue of religious persecution in Nigeria within Congress, introduced a resolution earlier this week affirming support for Nigeria’s CPC status. In addition, thirty-one members of the House Values Action Team have issued statements commending the designation.   

Background

Recent estimates indicate that more than 7,000 Christians have been killed for their faith in 2025 alone — an average of 35 Christians murdered every day — adding to the more than 50,000–100,000 Christian deaths since Boko Haram’s insurgency began in 2009. More than 19,000 churches have been attacked or destroyed, and in Benue and Plateau States alone, more than 9,500 individuals, mostly Christians, were killed between May 2023 and May 2025, with roughly half a million newly displaced. 

Nigeria remains one of only seven countries worldwide that retain a death-penalty blasphemy law, enforced across twelve northern states. ADF International  provides legal support to individuals wrongly imprisoned under these laws, including Sufi musician Yahaya Sharif-Aminu and Christian mother Rhoda Jatau, who endured imprisonment for alleged “blasphemy.” Sharif-Aminu’s case is currently before the Supreme Court of Nigeria, with the potential to overturn northern Nigeria’s blasphemy regime. 

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Gebet vor Abtreibungseinrichtung in Regensburg endgültig erlaubt

  • Stadt hebt Auflagen auf – Erfolg für Religions- und Versammlungsfreiheit  
  • ADF International begrüßt Ausgang als „klares Bekenntnis zum Rechtsstaat“ 

Regensburg (6. November 2025) – Ein wichtiger Sieg für Religions- und Versammlungsfreiheit: Nach den erfolgreichen Eilentscheidungen des Verwaltungsgerichts Regensburg und des Bayerischen Verwaltungsgerichtshofs hat die Stadt Regensburg ihre Beschränkungen für Gebetsversammlungen vor einer Abtreibungseinrichtung vollständig aufgehoben. Nach Angaben des anwaltlichen Vertreters geschah dies, weil die Stadt das Hauptverfahren höchstwahrscheinlich verloren hätte. Der Bayerische Verwaltungsgerichtshof stellte in seinem Beschluss klar, dass das Schwangerschaftskonfliktgesetz (SchKG) keine pauschalen Verbotszonen („Bannmeilen“) für Meinungsäußerungen vorsieht. Friedliche Versammlungen sind weiterhin erlaubt – auch im 100-Meter-Radius um Abtreibungseinrichtungen. Der Verein Helfer für Gottes kostbare Kinder Deutschland e.V. darf seine monatlichen Gebetswachen damit auch weiterhin wie gewohnt in rund 40 Metern Entfernung zur Einrichtung abhalten.  

ADF International unterstützte den Verein im Verfahren gemeinsam mit Rechtsanwalt Prof. Dr. Torsten Schmidt (Leisnig), der die rechtliche Vertretung übernahm. Im neuen Bescheid der Stadt Regensburg vom 24. Oktober 2025 übernimmt die Stadt ausdrücklich die Begründung der Gerichte und macht sie sich zu eigen. Damit ist das Verfahren faktisch abgeschlossen – ein vollständiger Erfolg für die Klägerseite. 

„Dieser Ausgang ist ein klares Bekenntnis zum Rechtsstaat: Friedliches Gebet darf nicht unter Generalverdacht gestellt werden. Die Entscheidungen zeigen, dass das Ende 2024 geänderte Bundesgesetz keine pauschalen Verbote vor Ort rechtfertigt. Grundrechte gelten auch vor Abtreibungseinrichtungen.“

- Dr. Felix Böllmann, Leiter der europäischen Rechtsabteilung bei ADF International.

Juristischer Erfolg mit Signalwirkung 

Der Prozessvertreter des Vereins, Rechtsanwalt Prof. Dr. Torsten Schmidt, begrüßte die Entscheidungen als „sehr erfreulich“: 

„Unzulässige Angriffe auf die Religionsfreiheit und die Versammlungsfreiheit konnten abgewehrt werden. Der Vorgang hat allerdings auch erschreckende Züge: Die im Verfahren offengelegten Akten zeigen, dass durch die Bundestagsabgeordnete Dr. Carolin Wagner (SPD) offenbar politischer Druck auf die Stadt ausgeübt wurde, um das Einschreiten gegen die Gebetsvigil zu erzwingen. Skandalös ist, welchen starken Einfluss parteipolitische Seilschaften auf eine zur Neutralität verpflichtete Behörde nehmen konnten. Alarmierend ist zudem, dass heute schon christliche Symbolik oder das Bild eines ungeborenen Kindes als ‚angsteinflößend‘ gelten sollen.“ 

Die Stadt Regensburg hatte im Sommer 2025 unter Berufung auf das Ende 2024 geänderte SchKG eine 100-Meter-Verbotszone um Abtreibungseinrichtungen verhängt. Auch innerhalb der Stadtverwaltung gab es dazu offenbar unterschiedliche Auffassungen: Während das Rechtsamt die Gebetsmahnwachen für rechtmäßig erachtete, ergingen die beschränkenden Auflagen auf Weisung der politischen Spitze, die – nach Aktenlage – ihrerseits auf Druck eines Mitglieds der Bundes-SPD handelte.  

Im gerichtlichen Eilverfahren wurde bestätigt, dass die Auflagen tatsächlich aller Voraussicht nach rechtswidrig waren. Eine parteipolitische Einflussnahme gegen geltendes Recht konnte damit abgewehrt werden. Es bedurfte dazu aber der Anrufung der Gerichte.  

Gerichte bestätigen: Gesetz bietet keine Grundlage für pauschale Verbote 

Das Verwaltungsgericht Regensburg hatte in einer Eilentscheidung bereits am 14. August 2025 entschieden, dass die monatlichen Gebetswachen weiterhin stattfinden dürfen. Der Bayerische Verwaltungsgerichtshof bestätigte dies am 23. September 2025. Beide Gerichte stellten klar, dass das SchKG keine ausreichende Grundlage für pauschale Verbote friedlicher Versammlungen bietet. 

Im Anschluss an diese Entscheidungen hob die Stadt Regensburg am 24. Oktober 2025 die Beschränkungen offiziell auf und erklärte das Verfahren für erledigt. Der Verein stimmte dem zu und beantragte, dass die Stadt die Kosten trägt. 

„Wegweisende Rechtsprechung“ 

Laut Rechtsanwalt Prof. Dr. Schmidt wurde damit eine „wegweisende, versammlungs- und lebensschutzfreundliche Rechtsprechung“ geschaffen. ADF International bewertet das Ergebnis als positives Signal für alle, die ihr Grundrecht auf Religionsausübung friedlich wahrnehmen wollen. 

„Diese Entscheidung schützt die Freiheit der Versammlung, der Meinungsäußerung und der öffentlichen Glaubensbekundung – Grundpfeiler jeder freien Gesellschaft.“ so Dr. Böllmann abschließend. 

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BREAKING: U.S. government designates Nigeria “Country of Particular Concern”

  • United States government has officially recognized and vowed to take action to combat the mass scale persecution of Christians in Nigeria with this designation. President Trump further vows to combat the persecution of Christians worldwide
  • A „Country of Particular Concern“ is officially designated by the U.S. President and Secretary of State as engaging in or tolerating “particularly severe violations of religious freedom”

WASHINGTON, D.C. (1 November 2025) — On October 31st, the United States government officially recognized and vowed to take action to combat the mass-scale persecution of Christians in Nigeria with the designation “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC). President Donald Trump announced the decision to designate Nigeria as a CPC on Truth Social and called upon members of Congress, led by Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV), to investigate and provide recommendations for how to combat the persecution.

ADF International has for years used strategic litigation and targeted advocacy to address the severe persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in Nigeria. Through legal action, engagement with policymakers, and international advocacy, ADF International has consistently called attention to the severe persecution in Nigeria, urging its designation as a CPC to help mobilize a strong and effective international response.

„We commend President Trump for his strong statement and strong action today to stand up for persecuted Christians in Nigeria and globally. The evidence is clear: the persecution of Christians in Nigeria is deliberate and at horrifying levels. The U.S. should never stand idly by as our brothers and sisters in Christ face persecution for their faith, and we are grateful that the U.S. government has made combatting persecution a priority. ADF International has supported the legal defense of clients in Nigeria for years who have faced the most severe violations of religious freedom. We have been consistently advocating for this critical designation for years and are committed to ensuring that it results in real change in Nigeria. The time is now for every persecuted Christian to find justice. The world should stand with the persecuted in Nigeria—and everywhere—now,” said ADF International Senior Counsel for Global Religious Freedom Sean Nelson.

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), the author of legislation (H.Res.220) calling to designate Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” said: “President Trump’s announcement validates the cries and concerns of the many church leaders and practicing Christians in Nigeria, and it reflects the United States’ unfaltering intolerance for foreign governments who do not protect their citizens from religious persecution.”  

Advocacy for Nigeria’s Persecuted Christians

Providing legal support for persecuted Christians in Nigeria is a key advocacy priority for ADF International. Information about the cases we support can be found here.

ADF International supported the legal defence of Rhoda Jatau, a Christian mother imprisoned for 19 months for allegedly sharing a blasphemous video that condemned the lynching of Christian college student Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu. Jatau was fully acquitted in December 2024.

Recently, a Nigerian High Court struck down the wrongful conviction of a Christian man David* (name changed for security) who faced torture for helping a persecuted convert escape violence in the country. ADF International supported David’s legal defence.

ADF International is also supporting the legal defence of Sufi musician Yahaya Sharif-Aminu before the Supreme Court of Nigeria, imprisoned for over five years and previously sentenced to death for a WhatsApp message deemed blasphemous. Sharif-Aminu is currently awaiting a hearing date before the court after his first hearing was held in September. Following the hearing, a Nigerian state lawyer threatened to publicly execute the young man for sending a song on WhatsApp. His case carries with it the possibility of abolishing the draconian blasphemy laws that significantly exacerbate Nigeria’s climate of violence and hostility toward religious minorities, including Christians.

Country of Particular Concern Designation

ADF International, together with other human rights organizations and experts, has long urged the State Department to put Nigeria back on the CPC list. 

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) previously called the removal of Nigeria’s CPC designation by the State Department “appalling” and “inexplicable”.

Kelsey Zorzi, Senior Counsel and Director of Advocacy for Global Religious Freedom for ADF International responded to the CPC designation: “More Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than in the rest of the countries of the world combined. We wholeheartedly welcome today’s designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern for the severe persecution of Christians. This important step by President Trump—along with his pledge to combat persecution worldwide—brings much-needed attention to the worsening crisis and is a vital step toward accountability and concrete change. At ADF International, we have seen firsthand through our clients the suffering of individuals targeted for their faith. We urge the international community to build on this momentum and work together to ensure that every person—regardless of religion or belief—can live free from fear and oppression. Ending religious persecution is not only a political goal; it is a moral imperative.“

Designating a country as a CPC is one of the most serious and consequential actions the U.S. government can take to address violations of religious freedom. It signals that systematic, ongoing, and egregious abuses are taking place and that international attention and accountability are urgently needed. Such a designation not only raises global awareness but also opens the door for diplomatic pressure, targeted sanctions, and increased humanitarian support for affected communities.

The redesignation of Nigeria as a CPC serves as both a validation of years of documentation of the atrocities and a call to intensify efforts to ensure that those suffering for their faith are protected and that perpetrators are held to account.

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Pictured: Kelsey Zorzi; Sean Nelson

Scottish politician seeks to criminalise “influencing” a person’s decision about assisted suicide 

  • Scottish Green Party’s Patrick Harvie proposes a censored “buffer zone” around facilities where assisted suicides might take place, preventing family members or concerned individuals from changing a person’s mind 
  • Move echoes abortion “buffer zones” law enacted in Scotland last year, under which a grandmother was arrested for offering a conversation 

EDINBURGH (29 October 2025) – A Scottish parliamentarian and member of the Health Committee, Patrick Harvie MSP, has proposed an amendment to Scotland’s controversial “assisted suicide” bill that would criminalise discussion of suicide prevention  within a large, undefined public area surrounding any building where an assisted suicide might take place. 

The vague proposal would forbid any attempts to “influence” a person’s decision to undergo an assisted suicide, such as through conversation with a family member or the display of a suicide prevention poster.

"It's unthinkable that Scots should be banned on certain streets from offering hope and encouraging someone to choose life, not suicide."

- Lois McLatchie Miller, ADF International

Almost half of those who opted for assisted suicides in Oregon cited concerns about being a perceived “burden on family, friends or caregivers” as a driver for their decision to end their lives, according to public health data released in 2023. 

Concerns for Free Speech

The move echoes the “buffer zones” law put in place in Scotland last year, which criminalises any attempts to “influence” a person’s decision to access abortion services within 200m of every hospital.  

In August, 75-year-old grandmother Rose Docherty became the first person to be arrested under the abortion “buffer zones” law after she peacefully offered consensual conversation, holding a sign reading “Coercion is a crime, here to talk, only if you want”. The U.S. State Department condemned the arrest as „another egregious example of the tyrannical suppression of free speech happening across Europe.“ ADF International is supporting her legal defence as she faces trial in December. 

At the Munich Security Conference in February, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance criticised the Scottish buffer zones law, summarising that „free speech, I fear, is in retreat“.

Reacting to Harvie’s proposal, Lois McLatchie Miller from ADF International said: 

„It’s unthinkable that Scots should be banned on certain streets from offering hope and encouraging someone to choose life, not suicide.  

How will this impact a doctor’s choice to have a suicide-prevention charity’s poster in their window? How will this impact important conversations between loved ones, eager to convince an elderly wife or a parent that they are not a burden, but a valuable member of the family? 

“Once the principle of a censorial ‘buffer zone’ is approved for one issue, it can easily multiply to more and more issues. We’ve already seen loosely worded abortion ‘buffer zone’ rules be used to arrest a grandmother simply for offering to chat. Now the government seeks to apply the same vague, broad rules to ban speech about assisted suicide. What could be next? Banning parents from „influencing“ their child outside a gender clinic? Banning dissenting speech about foreign regimes around certain embassies? Censorship is always a slippery slope.“ 

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PICTURED: Rose Docherty, Lois McLatchie Miller

“Sie haben uns unsere Kinder genommen“: Christliche Eltern verklagen Schweden vor dem Europäischen Gerichtshof für Menschenrechte

Zwei Töchter eines christlichen Ehepaars in Schweden wurden vom Staat von ihren Eltern getrennt, nachdem die ältere Tochter in der Schule eine falsche Aussage gemacht hatte – ausgelöst durch einen Streit mit ihren Eltern über die Nutzung eines Handys und Make-up. Obwohl sie die Anschuldigungen kurz darauf widerrief, sah sich die Familie Vorwürfen des ‘religiösen Extremismus’ ausgesetzt.

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