The two eldest daughters of Christian couple, Daniel and Bianca Samson, were seized by Swedish child protection services after the eldest made a false report at school—triggered by her parents’ refusal to allow her a mobile phone and the use of makeup—a claim she later retracted, but nonetheless prompted allegations of “religious extremism” from the state.
Continue reading
Christians fraudulently “converted” in attempted enslavement.
Continue reading
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.
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 family. 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.”
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.
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, a Nigerian Christian and mother of 5, endured years of criminal proceedings, including a 19-month stay in prison, for charges of “blasphemy.”
Continue reading
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 reading
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 reading
‘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 reading
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 reading
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 reading
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
You are currently viewing a placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationYou need to load content from reCAPTCHA to submit the form. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationYou are currently viewing a placeholder content from Facebook. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationYou need to load content from reCAPTCHA to submit the form. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationYou are currently viewing a placeholder content from X. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More Information
