The European Court of Human Rights has ruled against Poland following a challenge brought by a woman who had travelled abroad for an abortion after the country’s Constitutional Tribunal struck down eugenic abortion in 2020.
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• In letter thanking President Trump, coalition of international religious freedom experts and faith leaders outlines key recommendations to respond to crisis facing persecuted Christians in Nigeria.
• ADF International joins the call, urging continued U.S. leadership and global action to defend religious freedom in Nigeria and beyond.
WASHINGTON D.C. (November 13) — A coalition of 48 faith leaders and religious freedom experts has sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump, thanking him for his decisive action in designating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), stating, “You saw the evidence, you listened to the cries of the persecuted, and you acted.”
The letter urges continued United States’ leadership on international religious freedom. In it, signatories emphasize that swift action from the U.S. is indispensable as Christians in Nigeria continue to face relentless violence from terrorist groups. The letter reflects a unified commitment to four recommended key policy goals that Nigeria, following increased pressure from the U.S., should commit to if it is to be removed from the CPC designation: 1) increased security and reliable early warning systems for Christian communities, particularly in the Middle Belt where Fulani militant attacks are the worst; 2) swift prosecution for attackers; 3) facilitating the safe return of internally-displaced persons; and 4) repealing the country’s draconian Sharia blasphemy laws.
“The administration’s decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern is a momentous step forward for international religious freedom,” said Sean Nelson, Senior Counsel for ADF International. “Christians and other vulnerable communities in Nigeria have endured unthinkable violence for far too long. While there is still much work ahead, this decisive action renews hope that real protection and accountability are on the horizon. The President’s commitment to Nigeria can serve as a model to protect persecuted Christians worldwide, as Christians are the most persecuted religious group globally.”
“The administration’s decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern is a momentous step forward for international religious freedom. While there is still much work ahead, this decisive action renews hope that real protection and accountability are on the horizon. The President’s commitment to Nigeria can serve as a model to protect persecuted Christians worldwide, as Christians are the most persecuted religious group globally."
Signatories to the letter include top leaders in the movement to end global Christian persecution, including Alliance Defending Freedom President & CEO Kristen Waggoner, Matt and Mercedes Schlapp of the CPAC Foundation, former Congressman Frank Wolf, former Senior Advisor to the President on International Religious Freedom Sarah Makin, President of Family Research Council and former Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Tony Perkins, President & CEO of Concerned Women for America Penny Nance, President & CEO of CatholicVote Kelsey Reinhardt, Director of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom Nina Shea, and many others. The letter was developed through the CPAC Christian Persecution Coalition. In addition to highlighting the crisis in Nigeria, the letter urges President Trump to “continue to make the defense of religious freedom internationally a core U.S. foreign policy priority” and to “continue and even elevate” the defense of persecuted Christians worldwide.
“We commend your recognition of the major threat and devastation facing Christians in Nigeria from radical Islamists and a government that has taken little action to protect them, as well as your clear-eyed statements placing all available Presidential actions on the table to ensure that action is taken soon,” the letter reads.
Nigeria remains one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a Christian. In 2025 alone, more than 7,000 Christians have been killed for their faith, with an average of 35 murdered every single day. Since Boko Haram launched its insurgency in 2009, estimates indicate that between 50,000 and 100,000 Christians have lost their lives due to religiously motivated violence.
The destruction of churches has become a defining feature of the crisis, with over 19,000 churches attacked or destroyed in recent years. In the central regions of Benue and Plateau States the situation has worsened dramatically, with more than 9,500 people, mostly Christians, killed between May 2023 and May 2025, and around 500,000 individuals newly displaced from their homes due to targeted attacks.
“The numbers we have seen in Nigeria are alarming. With the renewed CPC designation for Nigeria, we are hopeful that this will bring about real change. The letter to the president, which ADF International gladly has joined, acknowledges the horrors that Christians have faced for years and paints a picture of what a path toward protecting them and religious freedom for all can look like,” said Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Advocacy for ADF International.
ADF International continues to advocate for Christians and other religious minorities who face severe persecution across Nigeria. The organization has supported multiple individuals targeted under blasphemy laws or attacked for their faith.
One such case is that of Rhoda Jatau, a Christian mother imprisoned for 19 months after allegedly sharing a video condemning the brutal lynching of Christian college student Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu. With legal support from ADF International, Jatau was fully acquitted in December 2024, marking an important victory for justice and free expression.
ADF International also backed the successful appeal of *David (name changed for security reasons)*, a Christian man who was wrongfully convicted and suffered torture after helping a convert escape violent threats. A Nigerian High Court ultimately overturned his conviction, acknowledging the injustices he endured.
Today, ADF International continues its support for Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, a Sufi musician imprisoned for over five years after a WhatsApp message deemed blasphemous. Once sentenced to death, Sharif-Aminu is now awaiting his next hearing before the Supreme Court of Nigeria, and his case may be heard and decided in the coming months. Sharif-Aminu’s case has the potential to abolish Nigeria’s harsh blasphemy laws, which embolden mob violence and fuel the climate of hostility facing Christians and other vulnerable groups.
The coalition letter underscores that the crisis in Nigeria reflects a broader global trend of growing hostility toward Christians. ADF International supports numerous cases across the world, advocating for the right to freely live out one’s faith.
The letter states, “We see atrocities and grave violations being committed worldwide, from Nicaragua to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan, from Algeria to Syria to China, and in so many other places.” In Nicaragua, ADF International has represented Christian pastors punished for their faith. In Sudan, the organization has advocated for Christians targeted for conversion to the faith. The letter also highlights Algeria, where nearly every Protestant church has been closed by the government. Amid this crackdown, Pastor Youssef Ourahmane faces prosecution before the country’s Supreme Court for leading Christian worship, with a potential prison sentence.
The letter also warns that even in democratic societies, Christians increasingly face pressure and punishment for expressing their beliefs. Cases like Päivi Räsänen in Finland and Adam Smith-Connor in the United Kingdom show how legal and social pressures are mounting against Christians, even in places where religious freedom is traditionally protected.
“The U.S. should stand as a beacon for the fundamental right to religious freedom and a voice for persecuted Christians globally, because if we do not stand, no one else will,” the letter concludes. “We ask that you continue to make the defense of religious freedom internationally a core U.S. foreign policy priority, and that you continue and even elevate your defense of persecuted Christians worldwide.”
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."
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.
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.
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
Prosecution seeks conviction for quoting the Bible as Finland’s highest court hears final appeal
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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."
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
Tomorrow, the Supreme Court of Finland will hear the landmark case of Finnish parliamentarian Dr. Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola, who stand accused of “hate speech” for publicly expressing their Christian beliefs.
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Räsänen will be available for questions at an online press conference hosted by ADF International on Oct 30th at 16:00 CET (11:00 EDT)
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Two daughters of a Christian couple in Sweden were seized by the state after their older daughter made a false report at school over her parents’ refusal to give her a phone and allow makeup, prompting allegations of “religious extremism,” even though she promptly retracted.
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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.
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