Christian Convert From Islam Freed After Imprisonment Over Facebook Posts

  • Contributor to Facebook group for Christian converts from Islam has been freed after over three years in detention 
  • Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo, father of 5, withstood severe conditions – and period of hunger strike – before being released from prison this month, with support from ADF International

CAIRO (2 February 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.  

"It isn’t right that a government should tear me away from my family, keep me in these awful conditions, only because of the faith in which I peacefully choose to believe."

- Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo

He was moved between several detention centers throughout his three years of imprisonment, even undergoing a hunger strike within his final six months in an act of desperation. The husband and father of five suffered from poor health in relation to his heart, liver, and kidneys. 

“I endured many hardships in prison. It isn’t right that a government should tear me away from my family, keep me in these awful conditions, only because of the faith in which I peacefully choose to believe. 

“I thank everyone who prayed for me while I was in prison, cared about and followed up on my case, and shared the joy of my release from prison,” commented Abdo upon his release. 

Abdo’s son, Husam Baqi, added: 

“It is hideous that individuals are not allowed to believe and express their beliefs freely and are imprisoned or killed for their faith.“ 

"This case shows the extremity of unchecked government censorship in the online age."

- Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo

Abdo continues to fight his open legal battle with support from ADF International, who helped secure his release by submitting his case to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. 

A Global Trend of Online Censorship

Commenting on the case, Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Advocacy for Religious Freedom for ADF International, said: 

“The arbitrary detention of this husband and father without a criminal trial, and the lack of an opportunity for him to defend himself against alleged offenses, constitutes a severe violation of human rights. 

“The peaceful expression of one’s religious convictions cannot a crime – not in Egypt, nor anywhere else in the world. This case shows the extremity of unchecked government censorship in the online age. The world must take note.” 

Support from around the World

While Abdo sufered in prison, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, research fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, described his unfair treatment as “grotesque”. 

“The imprisonment of Yemeni refugee Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo at the hands of Egyptian authorities is a surreal example of censorial blasphemy policies in action,” she said.  

Previously a prominent atheist, Ali announced in November that she was converting to Christianity. Because of her outspoken rhetoric against the Muslim Brotherhood, she faces constant death threats.  

“This is the logical conclusion to a trend that empowers authorities to brutalize innocent people for free expression on social media. From China to Pakistan, from Russia to Syria, from the UK to Egypt—free speech must urgently be defended from our age’s resurgent Stalinism,” she added.

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PICTURED: Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo; Kelsey Zorzi, ADF International

United Nations experts call for immediate release of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, denounce blatant human rights violations in Nigeria

  • Experts with the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention call for the immediate and unconditional release of Nigerian Yahaya Sharif-Aminu. 
  • Sharif-Aminu currently remains in prison while awaiting Supreme Court appeal following death sentence for sharing allegedly “blasphemous” song lyrics on WhatsApp; ADF International is supporting his appeal to the Supreme Court of Nigeria. 

GENEVA (3 DECEMBER 2024) The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) has called for the immediate release and reparations for Nigerian Yahaya Sharif-Aminu in a just-published opinion. Sharif-Aminu was sentenced to death by hanging in 2020 for sharing allegedly “blasphemous” song lyrics in a closed WhatsApp group. He is currently awaiting appeal at the Nigerian Supreme Court with the legal support of ADF International. 

In their opinion, the WGAD finds that Nigerian authorities deprived Sharif-Aminu of various fundamental human rights in international law, including freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression, and urges Nigerian authorities to “take the steps necessary to remedy the situation” without delay. The WGAD also urges the government of Nigeria to “ensure a full and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the arbitrary detention of Mr. Sharif-Aminu and to take appropriate measures against those responsible for the violation of his rights.” The full opinion can be read here. 

“We are grateful to the members of the WGAD for speaking out on Yahaya’s behalf and for their denouncement of the blatant human rights violations he has been enduring,” said Sean Nelson, legal counsel for ADF International. “It is past time for Nigerian officials to heed the advice of human rights advocates across the globe, release Yahaya and abolish the blasphemy laws that have plagued religious minorities in Nigeria for far too long. No person should be punished, prosecuted, or threatened with death for their peaceful expression and their faith. We pray for Yahaya’s unconditional release and for all people worldwide to continue to raise their voices on his behalf.” 

Kola Alapinni, international human rights lawyer and lead attorney on Sharif-Aminu’s case, said: “The WGAD has reviewed the full facts of the unjust charges against Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, and have come to a clear and decisive statement that his rights have been violated grievously. I thank them for their call for his immediate release. Officials in Nigeria should listen—Yahaya’s ongoing detention is indefensible.” 

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A video from ADF International features testimonies from Yahaya’s mother, father, and uncle, who recount the traumatic experiences endured by Yahaya and their family.

Death sentence for “blasphemy”   

In 2020, Sufi Muslim Yahaya Sharif-Aminu was sentenced to death by hanging for “blasphemy”. His alleged crime involved sending song lyrics on WhatsApp that were deemed blasphemous toward the prophet Mohammed.    

With support from human rights legal advocacy group ADF International, Sharif-Aminu has appealed his case to the Supreme Court of Nigeria and is challenging the constitutionality of Sharia-based blasphemy laws. He remains in prison awaiting the Supreme Court appeal. His case is far from an isolated incident. Together with minority Muslims, the persecution of Christians in Nigeria is especially severe. In 2022, approximately 90% of all Christians worldwide that were killed for their faith were in Nigeria.   

International pressure has been mounting to free Yahaya and end blasphemy laws. Last year, the European Parliament overwhelmingly called for the immediate release of Sharif-Aminu, and a group of 209 international and Nigerian human rights advocates wrote to then-Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, calling for Sharif-Aminu’s immediate release. 

In addition, in May of this year, United Nations experts called for Sharif-Aminu’s immediate and unconditional release.  

Sharif-Aminu’s potentially landmark Supreme Court appeal could end blasphemy laws in his home state of Kano and across northern Nigeria. A positive decision could lead the way toward abolishing blasphemy laws around the world.  

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WIN: Brazilian Supreme Court unanimously rejects attempt to ban religious symbols from public buildings

  • Win for religious freedom as country’s highest court rejected attempt to ban religious symbols such as crucifixes from public spaces on the basis of “hurt emotions”  

  • ADF International submitted a “friend of the court” legal brief which was cited in the court’s reasoning

Brasília (28 November 2024) – The Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) this week unanimously voted to allow religious symbols in public spaces, in line with a legal brief filed by ADF International.

All 11 justices of the country’s highest court affirmed that displaying symbols such as crucifixes and images in public spaces does not conflict with the secular nature of the Brazilian state.

The plaintiff in the case had argued that removal of the symbols was necessary to protect religious freedom and that the symbols can cause emotional hurt.

A legal brief, known as an amicus brief, submitted by faith-based legal advocacy organisation ADF International, was considered by the court and directly cited as part of the concurring opinions.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes wrote: “It is also worth noting the lengthy statement submitted by ADF INTERNATIONAL… in which it demonstrates the real direction of the international courts’ statements on the matter, exactly along the lines proposed by the Honorable Rapporteur, that symbols in public spaces are allowed, as long as they do not go beyond the manifestation of the country’s history, culture and tradition.

“By the way, it is important to emphasize the correctness of the thesis of the judgment insofar as it associates the display of such symbols with the ‘objective of manifesting the cultural tradition of Brazilian society’.”

Tomás Henríquez, Director of Advocacy for Latin America & the Caribbean for ADF International, reacted to the decision: “This ruling is a resounding victory for religious freedom in Brazil. ‘Hurt emotions’ are no justification for banning religious symbols.

“We welcome this decision and commend the court for so clearly upholding religious freedom.”

In its expert legal brief, ADF International argued that any principle of “state neutrality” should not amount to hostility towards Christianity. Additionally, it demonstrated the relevance of the social, cultural, and historical context of Christianity in Brazil.

Finally, it reasoned that the law does not protect the “hurt emotions” the plaintiff alleged he experienced due to the presence of religious symbols in public places.

The decision has similarities to a case decided by the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights in 2011. In Lautsi v. Italy, the Grand Chamber ruled that Italy was within its rights under the Convention to allow the display of crosses in classrooms.

In that case, ADF International was given permission to provide legal expertise, submitting arguments on behalf of 33 Members of the European Parliament, representing 11 different nations.

Background

The Brazilian case stemmed from a Brazilian citizen who issued a complaint to the Federal Public Ministry (FPM), Brazil’s Public Prosecutor’s Office, alleging he suffered “hurt emotions” due to the presence of religious symbols in public buildings.

The FPM filed a civil action against the Brazilian Federal Union, requesting that all religious symbols be removed from Federal and State of São Paulo buildings.

The FPM argued it was seeking to promote and protect the religious freedom of all citizens who entered public offices across Brazil and that displaying religious symbols and images in public spaces violated the principle of non-discrimination.

The lawsuit was dismissed by both the trial and appeals court. The FPM filed an extraordinary appeal before the appellate court, which was not admitted.

The FPM then filed an extraordinary appeal before the STF, resulting in the latest ruling that upholds religious freedom. This decision binds all state and federal public entities in Brazil.

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PICTURED: Tomás Henríquez, ADF International’s Director of Advocacy for Latin America & the Caribbean

Algerian pastor convicted of “illegal worship” shares his story, advocates for re-opening churches

  • Christian convert and pastor Youssef Ourahmane shared the story of his arrest, conviction, and court appeals for “illegal worship” this week in Washington, DC, and called for the re-opening of evangelical churches in Algeria.   
  • An Algerian appeals court earlier this year upheld Pastor Youssef’s conviction and prison sentence for the so-called crime of “illegal worship” for leading his church.    
  • ADF International is advocating for his acquittal, supporting the legal defence of the persecuted across the globe.  

WASHINGTON, DC (18 October 2024) Pastor Youssef Ourahmane, a Christian convert and pastor in the Protestant Church of Algeria, has been sentenced to heavy fines and a prison sentence for the so-called crime of “illegal worship” for leading his church.  

This week, Pastor Youssef was in Washington, D.C. to share his story and advocate for religious freedom and the re-opening of evangelical churches forcefully closed in Algeria. In an event hosted by ADF International in Washington, D.C., Pastor Youssef appealed to the audience, saying “We have had a lot of opposition… by 2019 most of the Evangelical churches in our country had been shut down. When the churches were closed, a lot of the Christians felt that something was gone in their Christian faith because the building had been part of their identity.” 

When asked about why he is willing to go to prison for his faith, Pastor Youssef responded “God knows the number of my hairs on my head, and none fall without His will.” He continued, saying “We have to accept God’s will, and God’s sovereignty… I try by my best, by His grace, to be a good testimony to others.”  

In May 2024, the Court of Appeal in Tizi Ouzou, Algeria upheld the conviction of “illegal worship” against Pastor Youssef for leading the Emmanuel Church in Algeria. This was his second appeal in the case.  

Pastor Youssef, who was born into a Muslim home but converted as a student to Christianity, was sentenced to 2 years’ imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 Algerian dinars on 2 July 2023 for his involvement as the leader of his church, although authorities could provide no evidence of a crime. In November 2023, his prison sentence was reduced from 2 years to 1 year. Upholding his conviction in May of this year, the court added an additional 6 months of suspended prison time to his sentence of 1 year imprisonment and fines of 100,000 Algerian dinars.   

Also speaking at the event, Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Advocacy for Global Religious Freedom for ADF International, said “Despite their small numbers, Algeria has systematically been working to prevent the Evangelical community from being able to simply worship together…. Pastor Youssef’s case is one of roughly 50 spurious cases against Christians in the past few years…. His advocacy throughout the years on behalf of the entire evangelical church in Algeria, even in the face of potential imprisonment, is an inspiration.” 

Zorzi continued, saying “We stand with the persecuted Christians around the world, and especially those who are under such dire threat as the Evangelical community in Algeria. The United States and the international community must take a strong stand against the unlawful church closures and unjustified arrests and imprisonments of pastors.” 

ADF International is coordinating with other NGOs to support Pastor Youssef and his right to worship freely with international advocacy and to raise his case with government officials from over 40 countries.   

Video: remarks from Kelsey Zorzi

Background 

Pastor Youssef Ourahmane, who has been leading Christian congregations in Algeria for over 30 years, appealed his conviction for illegal worshipping in his church on 26th March 2024, the date of his 36th wedding anniversary.   

Pastor Youssef is one of the leading figures in the Èglise Protestante d’Algérie (EPA), the Evangelical Protestant group whose 43 churches have been forcibly closed by the Authorities since 2019, leaving only one with its churches open today. Over the past five years, security police in Algeria, with orders from the Ministry of Interior, systematically alleged that the denominations’ church buildings were in violation of various “health and safety” codes. These alleged building code violations, they claimed, justified putting locks over the doors and declaring worship inside the buildings to be illegal. In one case, they physically beat a Pastor in front of his young child because he was peacefully protesting the closure of his church.   

Pastor Youssef has faced baseless criminal prosecutions for his peaceful Christian activities since 2008. He is only the latest person out of 50 Christians to have been convicted by the Courts over the past few years, under the vague offenses of “shaking the faith” of Muslims, illegal worship, or embezzling of tithing donations. The convictions are thought to be a reaction to the large numbers of local Christian converts in the country. “In the 1970s”, Pastor Youssef said at the event, “the government gave out licenses to churches which were largely full of expats. Today, the government is concerned that our churches are almost entirely filled with large numbers of Algerian converts”.   

On 27 March 2024, a different Pastor and four Elders from the church also appealed their three-year prison sentences and fines of 200,000 Algerian dinars. 

Pictured: Pastor Youssef’s church in Algeria

Religious persecution in Algeria 

Algeria is home to nearly 43 million people, with 99% of the population identifying as Sunni Muslim. Christians fall into the 1% of religious minorities. Islam is the official state religion, but Algeria’s constitution recognizes the right of all to worship and speak freely. The Algerian government limits religious freedom and expression through the enforcement of laws, including egregious blasphemy and anti-proselytism laws, which intentionally target and violate the religious freedom rights of Christians and other religious minorities.    

Algeria’s penal and information codes criminalize blasphemy, with punishments including imprisonment for up to five years and fines. The Criminal Code also censors publications by prohibiting content that is “contrary to Islamic morals”. In particular, the government has systematically cracked down on the Evangelical Protestant Church through church closures and raids.   

Violations of the rights of religious minorities are in violation of both international and domestic law. Algeria is a signatory to major human rights treaties, committing it to upholding the rights to freedom of religion and expression.    

Governments and the international community have highlighted the ongoing plight of religious minorities in Algeria. The U.S. Department of State has placed Algeria on its “Special Watch List” since 2021 for its severe violations of religious freedom, and USCIRF advised in its 2024 Annual Report that the country be once again included on the State Department’s “Special Watch List”. In 2021, several U.S. Senators sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling on him to address the increased persecution of religious minorities in Algeria.   

In addition to Pastor Youssef, ADF International also advocated for the release of Hamid Soudad, a Christian-convert in the Evangelical Church of Algeria, who was finally released from prison following a five-year ordeal. In January 2021, Soudad was arrested, convicted, and sentenced in an expedited trial to five years in prison for allegedly insulting Islam and the Prophet Muhammad in 2018. He was finally released from prison in 2023 following advocacy from religious freedom leaders from across the globe, including ADF International.    

Pictured: Pastor Youssef

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Why Nigeria is the Most Dangerous Country in the World for Christians

Sean Nelson talks with Rhoda Jatau who faces persecution as a Christian in Nigeria.

Sharia law in the north, blasphemy laws, and the ongoing threat from Boko Haram enable the rampant persecution of Christians

Picture of Sean Nelson
Sean Nelson

Legal Counsel for Global Religious Freedom with ADF International

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UPDATE 19 December 2024: Following a two-and-a-half-year legal ordeal, a judge in Bauchi State, Nigeria, acquitted Rhoda Jatau of “blasphemy” charges. If convicted, Rhoda faced up to five years in prison. She spent 19 months in prison before being released on bail for allegedly sharing a blasphemous video that condemned the lynching of Christian college student Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu.

Sean Nelson talks with Rhoda Jatau who faces persecution as a Christian in Nigeria.

The gospels tell us that Christians should expect to be persecuted for their faith. However, many people are surprised when they hear about the large amount of persecution facing Christians around the world today. Over 365 million Christians experienced “high levels of persecution and discrimination” worldwide in 2023.

But one country in particular, Nigeria, is the most dangerous country in the world for Christians. In 2022, roughly 5,000 Christians were murdered for their faith – more than the number killed in all other countries combined. For 2023, one estimate put the number of Christians targeted and killed in Nigeria at over 7,000.

The severe Christian persecution in Nigeria, particularly in the northern regions, makes it the most dangerous country in the world for Christians. I recently travelled to Nigeria and saw the effects of persecution firsthand. Let me share them with you:

Countering this Christian Persecution

Thankfully, ADF International works to stop this relentless persecution of Christians in Nigeria. We work with local allied lawyers to oppose the country’s egregious blasphemy laws and get Christians out of Islamic Sharia courts. We help Christian converts escape from violence and threats and protect Christian ministries targeted for their work.

And we work at the highest levels of governments around the world to put pressure on Nigeria to stop persecuting Christians. For example, this includes advocating for Nigeria’s placement on the United States government watchlist of the worst countries in the world for religious freedom violations.

I’ve met with the victims of Christian persecution and religious freedom violations in Nigeria. They have great faith in the face of such hardship. I recently travelled to Nigeria and saw the effects of persecution firsthand.

The Persecution of Christians in Nigeria is Systemic

Because Nigeria is the most dangerous country in the world for Christians, the persecuted face targeted violence and death from terrorist groups like Boko Haram and Muslim Fulani militias. Terrorist groups like these are responsible for thousands of killed Christians every year. Christian villages are burned, and villagers are left with mass graves, many orphaned children, and scars from attacks. I witnessed this destruction with my own eyes when I visited Nigeria.

Pastors and churches are particularly targeted, even on holy days like Christmas and Pentecost.

Northern Nigeria is also one of only seven places in the world where you can get the death penalty for alleged blasphemy. Northern Nigeria’s blasphemy laws are contained in its Islamic Sharia law, and they call for death for people who allegedly “insult” Islam. And so, these laws harm both Christians and minority Muslims and lead to horrifying instances of mob violence. Many Nigerian Christians have been killed by these mobs based on blasphemy accusations because they loved Christ.

Even those who condemn this mob violence face blasphemy trials, like Christian mother Rhoda Jatau. She was similarly accused of blasphemy, and a mob ransacked her neighborhood.

Sean Nelson experiencing why Nigeria is the most dangerous country in the world for Christians.

Why Nigeria is the Most Dangerous Country for Christians

Christians in Nigeria, particularly in the northern half of the country, face some of the most difficult circumstances for Christians in the world. Northern Nigeria is majority Muslim and increasing Islamic extremism from terrorist groups like Boko Haram and other militants like Muslim Fulani militias have led to greater Christian persecution. Boko Haram explicitly wants to murder, kidnap, and subjugate Christians in Nigeria.

Christian converts face an especially hard time because their family, friends, and community will often threaten and attack them for converting. I’ve met these converts who fled their homelands for safety.

Churches face discrimination, false accusations, and destruction. In fact, one evangelist named Daniel Kefee was charged with kidnapping for helping a young Christian convert woman find safety. With our support, local allied lawyers were able to free him and win his case.

The Spread of Sharia Law Throughout the North

Islamic Sharia law has also spread throughout the northern Nigerian states, leading to increasing persecution of Christians. Sharia law inspires hostility and mob violence against Christians in Nigeria. And even though Christians are not supposed to be subject to Sharia law, they are regularly hauled before Sharia courts on false accusations. Obtaining lawyers for these Christians in Nigeria is necessary for them to be saved from the application of Sharia law and its courts.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has long recommended that Nigeria be placed on the U.S. government’s watch list of the worst countries in the world for religious freedom. We strongly agree with this recommendation. But the U.S. State Department under the Biden administration removed Nigeria from the government watch list in 2021 without any clear reason.

The decision was outrageous. Certainly, the most dangerous country in the world for Christians should be recognized and designated that way by the U.S. government. These long-suffering Nigerian Christians deserve to have the international community on their side.

Overturning Blasphemy Laws to Remedy Christian Persecution

The blasphemy laws in Nigeria especially contribute to the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities. Here are two examples of which my Global Religious Freedom team works on today:

Yahaya Sharif-Aminu: Sufi Muslim Musician

We’re supporting the case of one young man, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, who is a Sufi Muslim musician charged with blasphemy for sharing song lyrics over WhatsApp. A mob burnt down his home, and he was convicted and sentenced to death in 2020 without a lawyer.

Thankfully, his conviction was overturned, but he was sent back to the Sharia Court to be retried under the same death penalty blasphemy law. We support his appeal to the Supreme Court of Nigeria to overturn the egregious blasphemy law. When I spoke to Yahaya in prison, one of his greatest pains was not being able to see his parents since his arrest.

Rhoda Jatau: Christian Mother Finally Acquitted

Rhoda was put in prison for 19 months during a trial where she was charged with blasphemy for allegedly sending a WhatsApp message condemning mob violence against Christians. She could only occasionally speak with a lawyer and see her family while imprisoned.

Thankfully, with our support and international advocacy, she was released on bail. In December 2024, following a two-and-a-half-year legal ordeal, a judge in Bauchi State, Nigeria, acquitted Rhoda Jatau of “blasphemy” charges. If convicted, Rhoda faced up to five years in prison. I met and spoke with Rhoda, and the anguish of being separated from her family while imprisoned was very difficult. Remarkably, her faith in Christ has been strengthened.

Conclusion: Relieving the Persecution of Christians in Nigeria Requires a Global Effort

Christian persecution won’t stop in Nigeria unless we all take a stand against it. That’s why we raise the alarm over the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. We advocate at the highest levels of government for the recognition of this persecution. We support allied lawyers who take cases to protect these persecuted Christians and end blasphemy laws.

Because of the danger here facing Christians, the persecuted face targeted violence and death from terrorist groups like Boko Haram and Muslim Fulani militias.

Victims living in the most dangerous country in the world for Christians have heartbreaking stories. But their faith is inspiring. So, we should make every effort to stand with them and stop the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.