Christians fraudulently “converted” in attempted enslavement.
Continue readingForced Conversion Cases: Pakistan
Breccia di Roma: Italy
An Evangelical church, whose meeting space was deemed a “shop” by authorities, is appealing to the European Court of Human Rights to defend its freedom to worship in the place of its choosing.
Continue readingAbdulbaqi Saeed Abdo: Egypt
Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo: Egypt
Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo now freed from prison for sharing his religious beliefs
- Who: Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo
- Where: Egypt
- Advocacy Team: Kelsey Zorzi, Elizabeth Francis
UPDATE, FEB. 2, 2025:
The father of 5 imprisoned for participating in a private Facebook group about converting to Christianity from Islam has been freed from detention after 3 years – but his case remains open.
Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo, originally from Yemen, was part of a Christian Facebook group that discussed Islamic theology and apologetics. In 2021, Abdo was arrested while he was living as a UNHCR-registered asylum seeker in Egypt. He had originally fled to Egypt because he faced death threats in Yemen after converting to Christianity.
Topic | Religious Freedom
The Egyptian government is bound under the Constitution and international law to recognize the fundamental rights to religious freedom, free speech, and a fair trial. While these rights must be upheld and protected, Egyptian authorities continue to act with hostility toward Christians and other religious minorities.
Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo is a victim of these human rights injustices. Abdulbaqi was arrested for his involvement with a Facebook page that seeks to minister to Christians who have converted from Islam. The authorities arrested him on fabricated verbal charges of blasphemy for facilitating conversations online with converts, and held him in pre-trial detention for over 3 years, since 2021.
ADF International has supported his legal defense and joined religious freedom leaders from the international community in demanding his release. Abdulbaqi was freed in January 2025 and has been safely reunited with his families. His case remains open before the State Security authorities, however, and ADF International will continue to support him with future legal developments.
“The arbitrary detention of Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo without a criminal trial and the lack of an opportunity for him to defend himself against his alleged offenses constitutes a severe violation of his human rights. The peaceful expression of one’s religious convictions should not lead someone to be detained for years. No one should be imprisoned for supporting Christian converts, let alone be told that they are a national security risk for expressing their beliefs.”
Elizabeth Francis, Legal Counsel for ADF International’s Global Religious Freedom team
"The peaceful expression of one’s religious convictions should not lead someone to be detained for years. No one should be imprisoned for supporting Christian converts, let alone be told that they are a national security risk for expressing their beliefs.”
Case Summary
Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo was arrested in 2021 for his involvement with a Facebook page that is dedicated to supporting people who have converted from Islam to Christianity. Authorities arrested him after discovering his affiliation with the page, spuriously linking his involvement with terrorism activities in order to justify his continued detention without trial.
Over 3 years, Abdulbaqi was regularly moved around to different detention centers while awaiting his repeatedly postponed criminal trial. In addition to the very poor conditions that negatively impacted his physical health, he was regularly denied private visits from his family and legal counsel. This meant that essential supplies could not be delivered and he could not communicate with his lawyers in a secure environment.
Abdulbaqi, a Christian convert who had fled to Egypt from Yemen when his life was in danger, was arrested in December 2021 for his connection to the Facebook page and his public television evangelism. He was subsequently transferred to various detention cells despite suffering from severe medical issues. He was only allowed occasional visits from his wife and children, including his son who was born while he was in detention.
In August 2024, Abdulbaqi wrote a devastating letter to his family in which he vowed to strike in stages until he made the strike “complete,” including turning away healthcare treatment and, eventually, food. He is now living in safety in a third country.
ADF International supported Abdulbaqi’s legal defense with his lawyers and advocated for his release by submitting information to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and other international religious freedom experts, arguing that he had been deprived of his right to religious freedom and a fair trial under international law.
Thanks to the persistent international advocacy of ADF International and our partner organisations, Abdulbaqi was finally released and safely reunited with his family in January 2025. We continue to fight for justice in his case.
Updates
Support Religious Freedom
Your gift can support fundamental freedoms for this couple and others like them across the world. Thank you for your generosity.
Stay Informed
Get involved! Sign up to receive updates:
"*" indicates required fields
Rhoda Jatau: Nigeria
Rhoda Jatau, a Nigerian Christian and mother of 5, endured years of criminal proceedings, including a 19-month stay in prison, for charges of “blasphemy.”
Continue readingPastor Youssef Ourahmane: Algeria
Pastor Youssef Ourahmane, a Christian convert and pastor in Algeria, has been sentenced to heavy fines and a prison sentence for the so-called crime of “illegal worship”.
Continue readingJim Demers: Canada
Jim Demers spent almost two months in prison for standing silently on a public sidewalk outside of an abortion facility with a sign that quoted Article Four of the American Convention on Human Rights.
Continue readingBillboard Chris: Australia
‘Billboard Chris’ – the advocate known for wearing a sandwich board reading “children cannot consent to puberty blockers” and engaging in street conversations amplified by viral videos across the world – has mounted a legal defence of free speech in Australia, with the legal backing of ADF International.
Continue readingJalil Mashali: Germany
A German city issued a fine against taxi driver Jalil Mashali because of a small Bible verse sticker on his rear window reading “Jesus – I am the way. The truth. And the life”.
Continue readingBishop Rolando Álvarez: Nicaragua
For denouncing the human rights violations perpetrated by the Nicaraguan government in his sermons, Bishop Rolando Álvarez was sentenced to 26 years in prison for “undermining national integrity”.
Continue readingNada and Hamouda: Sudan
A married Sudanese Christian convert couple is currently on trial facing baseless charges after they converted to Christianity despite the decriminalization of apostasy.
Continue reading