Christian Women and Girls Face Heightened Risk of Violence in Nigeria, UN Experts Warn

  • Experts highlighted patterns of religiously-motivated violence disproportionately targeting Christians and particularly women and girls, as well as other minorities
  • ADF International advocates for the Nigerian government to fulfil its obligations to guarantee freedom of religion and prevent all forms of violence

GENEVA (8 JUNE 2026) – UN experts have issued a formal communication to the Nigerian government, expressing grave concerns over alarming reports of human rights violations by armed military and political groups in northern and central Nigeria, disproportionately affecting Christians and particularly women and girls, among other religious or belief communities.

The joint letter, issued by the Special Rapporteurs on violence against women and girls, extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, minority issues, and torture, and the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, comes in response to mounting credible reports and extensive advocacy efforts by human rights and religious freedom groups, including ADF International. The full text of the communication will be made publicly available at the end of the 60-day response window granted to the Nigerian government.

The communication comes as armed militant groups continue to terrorise local populations in northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt through targeted violence, abductions, and forced marriages and conversions. Despite growing international scrutiny and well-documented allegations of grave human rights violations, Nigerian authorities have thus far failed to adequately protect civilians and bring perpetrators to justice.

UN experts cited the “broader pattern of violence and persecution disproportionately affecting Christian communities in some northern states,” noting the elevated risk of religiously-motivated attacks by radical Islamist militias and an increased threat of sexual violence against women and girls.

The experts highlighted that the risk for Christian females is especially great, pointing to specific cases where women and girls had been abducted, subjected to sexual violence, forced conversion and child marriage, or were attacked for rejecting a forced marriage arrangement. They further observed that Christian women and girls are especially vulnerable within camps for internally displaced persons.

The Special Procedures mandate-holders underscored Nigeria’s failure to uphold its international human rights obligations regarding freedom of religion, safety, liberty, and the rights of women and children, among others. They also noted the enforcement of blasphemy codes and local interpretations of Sharia law in certain constituent states as contributing factors in violence against non-Muslims.

The experts emphasised the need for Nigerian authorities to urgently investigate and act on alleged violations and protect victims and those still at risk.

“Christians, particularly women and girls, among other religious minorities, have faced grave and systematic atrocities at the hands of armed militant groups operating with impunity in parts of Nigeria. For too long, the international community has remained largely silent as this crisis has deepened. The joint communication from five UN mechanisms is a significant and welcome step towards ensuring that these violations receive international attention, and that their root causes –including discriminatory legal frameworks – are fully addressed,” said Giorgio Mazzoli, Director of UN Advocacy at ADF International.

“ADF International is committed to protecting freedom of religion and expression in Nigeria, and has supported both Christians and people of other beliefs facing discrimination and other human rights violations and abuses. As we welcome the UN experts’ efforts to hold Nigerian authorities accountable in this regard, we encourage Nigerian authorities to urgently pursue security and legal reforms, and stand ready to support efforts at all levels to uphold religious freedom for all across the country.

“Widespread attacks and brutality have devastated communities across northern and central Nigeria, resulting in serious civil unrest, the mass displacement of populations from their land, and – according to recent reports – more Christians killed for their faith than anywhere else in the world in 2025 alone. We call on the Nigerian government to seize this moment and redouble its efforts to halt the ongoing violence, ensure accountability, and fully guarantee fundamental freedoms as enshrined in both the Constitution and international human rights law.”

ADF International Advocacy in Nigeria

ADF International advocates for Christians and other religious minorities who face severe persecution across Nigeria. We have supported multiple individuals who have been attacked for their faith or targeted under blasphemy laws.

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 David* (name changed for security reasons), a Christian man 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; he was 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.

ADF International was also among several human rights organisations and experts that urged the US State Department to redesignate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC). This status was accorded in October 2025, drawing greater international attention to the human rights consequences of the country’s security situation.

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Finnish MP Päivi Räsänen submits testimony before Canadian Senate Human Rights Committee on C-9 “Hate Speech” Bill

Päivi reads her bible in the Finnish Parliament building.
  • Päivi Räsänen shares her experience of prosecution and conviction by Finnish authorities for peacefully expressing Christian beliefs about marriage and human sexuality
  • Räsänen submitted testimony as Canadian Senate considers amending criminal code to weaken protections for opinions expressed on religious subjects
Päivi reads her bible in the Finnish Parliament building.

OTTAWA (2 JUNE 2026) – Finnish parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen, who was criminally convicted for a decades-old church booklet about marriage and sexual ethics, was invited to submit a testimony before the Canadian Senate Human Rights Committee on the C-9 bill concerning “hate speech”.

In her testimony, submitted for the hearing on 1 June, Räsänen discussed her experience of facing a seven-year prosecution and three criminal trials for sharing her Christian beliefs about marriage on social media and in a booklet written for her church. Citing her narrow conviction by the Finnish Supreme Court, Räsänen warned the Committee of the dangers of removing protections for religious speech in the public square.

The former Interior Minister’s testimony comes as Canada’s House of Commons considers Bill C-9, which proposes to weaken protections for speech on religious matters in the Canadian criminal code.

The bill, among other things, removes a provision that protects religious statements made in “good faith”, potentially criminalising religious speech that would otherwise be lawful.

If passed, the bill would enable the prosecution of religious speech if the courts consider that it “wilfully promotes hatred against any identifiable group”. It carries a punishment of up to two years’ imprisonment.

“My experience in Finland has shown me that laws which criminalize speech have a very real cost not only to individuals, but also society at large. They encourage law-abiding citizens to censor their speech, and deprive wider society of conversations of critical importance."

- Päivi Räsänen

In her testimony, Räsänen emphasised the dangers that “hate speech” laws pose for fundamental freedoms and democratic societies:

“Censorship is one of the greatest existential threats to today’s democracies in Europe. You do not need to agree with my beliefs to see the danger of criminalizing peaceful speech. When the state controls which ideas and beliefs may be expressed, democracy becomes fragile. My case reveals where this path can lead.

“My experience in Finland has shown me that laws which criminalize speech have a very real cost not only to individuals, but also society at large. They encourage law-abiding citizens to censor their speech, and deprive wider society of conversations of critical importance.

Räsänen further warned against ambiguous “hate speech” legislation that criminalises the peaceful expression of certain beliefs. She recalled the Finnish Supreme Court’s decision to uphold her conviction despite acknowledging that her booklet “did not contain incitement to violence or comparable threat-like fomenting of hatred”.

She added that censorial legislation has negative consequences both for those prosecuted and others who will no longer feel able to express their views:

“Even when courts ultimately acquit, our story shows how the process itself becomes the punishment. We have faced years of investigation, public scrutiny, and legal uncertainty. This creates a chilling effect, not just for Christians, but for everyone who holds views outside a narrow, state-approved consensus… Through fear, “hate speech” laws undermine public discourse and drive diverse views from the public square.”

Räsänen concluded: “I look forward to the day when the fundamental right to free speech is upheld for all who seek to peacefully express their convictions.”

Background

In March 2026, Räsänen was found guilty of “insult” by the Finnish Supreme Court for expressing her Christian beliefs about human sexuality in a 2004 booklet produced for her church. Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola and the Luther Foundation Finland were convicted alongside her for publishing the booklet.

The long-serving Finnish parliamentarian’s nearly seven-year criminal prosecution began after she shared her Christian beliefs about marriage and sexual ethics in a 2019 tweet, leading to a police investigation that resulted in further charges for expressing her beliefs in a 2019 live radio debate and authoring the 2004 church booklet.

Formally charged with “agitation against a minority group” in 2021, Räsänen was acquitted on all charges by two lower courts in 2022 and 2023. Nevertheless, the state prosecutor appealed the decision concerning the Bible verse tweet and church booklet. In a narrow 3-2 ruling, the Finnish Supreme Court upheld the acquittal for the tweet but convicted Räsänen, the Bishop and the Luther Foundation Finland for the booklet.

In May, Räsänen announced her intention to appeal her case to the European Court of Human Rights, alongside Bishop Pohjola and the Luther Foundation Finland.

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East African Court case filed: Christian communities in DRC left unable to worship after targeted attacks on churches, charities

  • Religious freedom advocates demand a halt to attacks, financial compensation to rebuild destroyed churches; ADF International legally supporting the case.  
  • Continued attacks in the region aimed to destroy the central Christian religious pillars of the Banyamulenge ethnic group. 

NAIROBI (14 MAY 2026)  – Christian communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been left unable to freely practice their faith following a series of targeted attacks that have destroyed churches and other religious sites. In a case filed at the East African Court of Justice, advocates are calling for DRC recognition of the damage inflicted during an attack on Banyamulenge Christian sites in the city of Uvira in January 2026, as well as compensation to rebuild places of worship that have been destroyed in these targeted attacks.  

The violence has not only resulted in loss of life and property, but has also undermined their ability to gather for worship. The destruction has left many without safe spaces for communal gathering, prayer, or religious community. 

“This is the often-overlooked aftermath of ethnic and religiously motivated violence. Beyond the immediate devastation, these attacks leave lasting scars on communities. In this case, these Christians from the Banyamulenge community in the DRC are now significantly hindered in their ability to worship, gather and live out their faith."

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

“This is the often-overlooked aftermath of ethnic and religiously motivated violence,” said Sean Nelson, Senior Counsel for Global Religious Freedom at ADF International. “Beyond the immediate devastation, these attacks leave lasting scars on communities. In this case, these Christians from the Banyamulenge community in the DRC are now significantly hindered in their ability to worship, gather and live out their faith.” 

The primary attack took place on 18 January 2026, when the DRC military and aligned militia groups recaptured the city of Uvira from M23 rebels who had occupied the city for months. However, members within the newly arrived forces then began deliberately destroying five Christian churches and other faith-based organisations held and used by the Banyamulenge community. The Banyamulenge are Congolese ethnic Tutsis that militant and radical ethnic Hutus have falsely accused of sympathy with foreign forces. Additionally, over 70 Banyamulenge homes were destroyed. These attacks were specifically carried out to destroy the central Christian religious pillars of the Banyamulenge in Uvira as a means of erasing their ethno-religious identity.  

Advocates are now calling on authorities in the DRC to take immediate action to halt further attacks and ensure the protection of vulnerable religious communities. ADF International is supporting the case before the court. The case was filed at the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) on 11 March 2026 at the subregistry in Nairobi. The EACJ filing included affidavits from leaders and members of the Uvira church communities affected. 

“It is only right that the DRC acts swiftly to prevent further violence, takes responsibility and supports the reconstruction of destroyed churches and religious properties,” said Innocent Nteziryayo, named counsel for the churches and representatives for the Banyamulenge community before the East African Court of Justice. “Banyamulenge communities must be able to rebuild not only their homes, but also the churches and organizations that sustain their spiritual and communal life.” 

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Christian woman wins legal challenge against Muslim designation in Iraq’s official database

  • Ruling affirms right of Iraqi Christians to freely choose their religion, sets persuasive precedent for scores of Christians in Iraq facing serious legal and personal consequences of state-assigned religion
  • Case will advance to Iraq’s highest court, could enshrine protections from state-assigned religion into law; ADF International supports the case.

*Name has been changed to protect identity.

BAGHDAD, IRAQ (12 May 2026) — An Iraqi court has ruled in favor of a young Christian woman, Maryam*, allowing her to have her official religious status corrected in the government’s database after she was automatically registered as Muslim under Iraqi law. The significant ruling restores Maryam’s ability to live in accordance with her Christian faith and sets an important precedent for religious minorities across the region.

Despite being raised in a Christian household, Maryam and her sisters were forced by law after their mother separated from their father and remarried to a Muslim man, in accordance with Article 26(2) of the Iraqi National Card Law No. 3 of 2016, which provides that “minor children shall follow the religion of the parent who has converted to Islam.”

Upon reaching the age of legal majority, Maryam filed a legal claim in January 2025 to have her religious status corrected in the government’s database to reflect her Christian beliefs. The court’s decision affirms her right to choose her religion and have it accurately reflected in the government’s database.

“Everyone has the fundamental right to choose and live according to their religion,” Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Advocacy for Global Religious Freedom at ADF International, a legal organization supporting Maryam’s case.

“This decision sends a clear message that individuals should not be bound for life by religious classifications imposed on them as children by their parents or by government policy. No state should have the power to permanently assign a person’s religion.”

Maryam’s two younger sisters remain legally registered as Muslims. Similar legal actions will be pursued for each of them once they reach the age of majority.

In line with Iraqi law regarding decisions made in Personal Status Courts, the State will now move to appeal the decision to the Iraqi Federal Court of Cassation, which is the country’s highest court for such matters. A positive decision on appeal would strongly reinforce this victory in Iraqi jurisprudence and could serve as an influential precedent for others in similar situations..

State-assigned religion: a pervasive religious freedom restriction in the Middle East and Asia

Maryam’s case highlights a pervasive problem in many parts of the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia: the practice of state-assigned religion, in which governments record a citizen’s religion in official databases or on identification documents and make it difficult or impossible to change. In many countries, these designations are imposed without an individual’s consent—whether through clerical errors, inheritance from a parent’s conversion, or coercive government policies—and can carry severe consequences for daily life.

In Iraq and other countries such as Egypt, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Bangladesh, inaccurate or imposed religious designations can result in mandatory enrollment of children in religious education programs not of their faith, barriers to marriage, automatic assignment of children’s religion based on parental records, inheritance complications, family law conflicts, and exposure of non-Muslims to Sharia court jurisdiction. In some cases, parents assigned an inaccurate religion in government databases are forced to leave their names off their children’s birth certificates to prevent the incorrect designation from being passed down, creating additional legal issues for those families.

“Maryam was forced by law to carry a religious identity imposed on her as a child—one that did not reflect her beliefs, her upbringing, or her lived reality. Today's decision restores her ability to live in accordance with her Christian faith and sets an important precedent for others in similar situations"

- Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Advocacy for Global Religious Freedom at ADF International

Even where religion is not printed on a physical ID card, as in Iraq where religion is tracked in the government’s internal database, the designation can still create significant legal and personal consequences. These systems turn a person’s belief into a fixed, state-certified label, making it extremely difficult to freely change one’s religion or live according to one’s faith.

Maryam’s case raises fundamental questions about the compatibility of Article 26(2) of the National Card Law with constitutional guarantees of religious freedom and with Iraq’s obligations under international human rights treaties, including Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees that “everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion,” including the freedom to adopt a religion of one’s choice.

ADF International supported Maryam in securing legal recognition of her Christian faith and continues to advocate for broader reforms to protect religious freedom across the Middle East.

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Egyptian court fails to grant Easter holiday

  • Egyptian Christians currently are forced to choose between participating in Easter worship or facing serious civil, professional, and academic penalties 
  • Religious freedom advocates will appeal the rejection, with legal support from ADF International. 
  • The petition is part of movement to advance religious freedom in Egypt, removing barriers to worship in country with deep Christian heritage. 

CAIRO (30 APRIL 2026) — An Egyptian court has declined to rule on a petition to establish Easter as a national holiday, indicating that the Prime Minister should instead determine the matter. Religious freedom advocates from across Christian denominations plan to appeal the decision, seeking to remove longstanding barriers to Christian observance of Easter.  

The failure to recognize Easter as an official holiday in the country leaves in place conditions that force Egyptian Christians to choose between participating in Easter worship or facing serious civil, professional, and academic penalties.  

The court rejected the petition on procedural grounds, stating that the petition falls under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister, not the court. 

Because Sunday is a regular working day in Egypt, Christians who observe Easter are often unable to meet work and school obligations, and thus face penalties as a result. These include loss of pay, discrimination in the workplace, and academic consequences for absences—conditions that significantly restrict the ability of Egyptian Christians to freely practice their faith.

“At a time when many Christian communities in the region face severe persecution and even erasure, this decision leaves in place barriers that prevent Christians from freely observing the holiest day of their faith. We urge Egypt to take meaningful steps to ensure that the rights of Christians are recognized and protected."

- Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Advocacy for Global Religious Freedom at ADF International

“The Court’s decision leaves Christians in Egypt unable to worship freely and without fear of penalty or discrimination on the most sacred day of their faith. This is about far more than the recognition of a holiday—it is about the denial of a legal right to worship for Christians who already face ongoing and severe religious persecution,” said Kelsey Zorzi, ADF International’s Director of Advocacy for Global Religious Freedom.  

“Egypt has been a cradle of Christianity since the first century, with the Coptic Church tracing its origins to the Apostle Mark in Alexandria. At a time when many Christian communities in the region face severe persecution and even erasure, this decision leaves in place barriers that prevent Christians from freely observing the holiest day of their faith. We urge Egypt to take meaningful steps to ensure that the rights of Christians are recognized and protected,” stated Zorzi. 

While Egypt has taken steps in recent months to expand accommodations for Christian worship, those measures remain limited in scope and unevenly applied. A December decision by the Ministry of Manpower granting leave to Christian private-sector workers did not extend to the public sector and created disparities among Christian denominations by granting more paid leave days to Coptic Christians than Evangelicals or Catholics. 

The Court’s ruling leaves these gaps unaddressed, failing to provide consistent protection across sectors and communities. ADF International will support the appeal of the ruling, seeking to overturn the decision and secure recognition of Easter as a public holiday. 

Long-awaited recognition of the right to worship remains unmet amidst widespread persecution

Egypt is home to one of the world’s oldest Christian communities, and Christians make up a significant portion of the population alongside the Muslim majority. In this context, recognition of Easter Sunday would not have created new or numerous religious observances, but rather corrected a longstanding inequality affecting one of the country’s two primary religious communities on the most important day of its calendar. 

The decision comes against the backdrop of broader religious freedom challenges facing Christians in Egypt, including the use of blasphemy laws to prosecute individuals for expressing or defending their faith and the refusal of the State to formally recognize the religion of Christian converts on their official documents. Earlier this month, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended Egypt for placement on the U.S. State Department’s Special Watch List due to the government’s perpetration or toleration of severe violations of religious freedom. 

Egypt’s blasphemy laws are often used to unjustly prosecute Christians for actions or statements deemed offensive to the dominant religion. Penalties range from hefty fines to prison sentences. Most recently, a young Coptic Christian researcher and YouTuber, Augustinos Samaan, was arrested under Egypt’s blasphemy laws and later sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and hard labor for content he posted online defending his Christian faith. Dozens of similar cases have recently been filed in criminal courts in the country. 

In another case, a Christian father was imprisoned for three years for his activity in a Facebook group discussing conversion from Islam to Christianity. 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. 

By declining to remove barriers to Easter observance, the Court’s decision leaves Christians in Egypt unable to freely worship on the holiest day of their faith. 

“Religious freedom includes the ability to live out one’s faith in practice and in community—not only in private belief. The Court refused an opportunity to ensure that Egypt’s Christian community can fully observe the holiest day of their faith without penalty,” Zorzi added. 

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Ugandan bill to establish Sharia courts sparks urgent religious freedom concerns 

  • Proposed bill would subject all Ugandans, including Christians and other non-Muslims to Islamic personal law, in addition to preventing conversion from Islam, posing grave threats to religious freedom.  
  • International religious freedom advocates call on Uganda’s parliament to halt passage of the bill, citing severe violations of human rights, including grave implications for women and girls. 

KAMPALA (7 APRIL)—A bill in Uganda that would establish a nationwide system of Sharia courts—known in Uganda as “Qadhis courts”—is sparking urgent international concerns over freedom of religion, as lawmakers push to fast-track its passage before Parliament dissolves on 24 April 2026.  

The Qadhis Courts Bill, formally published in Uganda’s Gazette at the end of February, would radically change the Ugandan court system. Under the bill, a parallel system of Sharia courts would have mandatory and exclusive jurisdiction over personal law matters such as marriage, divorce, custody, and inheritance for all Muslim marriages, as well as drawing in Christians and other non-Muslims in some circumstances. The bill is expected to be formally introduced and moved into committee imminently, with supporters pushing for its passage before 24 April 2026. 

The bill raises serious concerns that some Ugandans will be forced to adjudicate cases in a court system that does not recognize their faith or legal rights. 

“Uganda’s proposed Sharia courts bill would subject Christians and other non-Muslims to Islamic law, while undermining fundamental rights—especially for women, children, and religious converts.”

- Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Advocacy for Global Religious Freedom at ADF International

“Uganda’s proposed Sharia courts bill would subject Christians and other non-Muslims to Islamic law, while undermining fundamental rights—especially for women, children, and religious converts,” said Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Advocacy for Global Religious Freedom at ADF International.  

“The Ugandan Qadhis Courts Bill should not proceed within the Parliament, and it is imperative that both international and Ugandan actors oppose it. The proposed bill’s passage would represent a dangerous expansion of Sharia law into Sub-Saharan Africa at a time when Christian persecution is growing.”

Restrictions on Conversion and Other Violations

Because the proposed Qadhis courts would apply Sharia law, which does not recognize conversion from Islam to another religion, Muslim individuals who seek to convert into Christianity or other religions would likely be prevented from doing so. 

“The right to choose and change your religion is firmly recognized in international law. Uganda would be in clear violation of international law should Sharia courts be established across the country given the severely problematic implications for religious conversion,” stated Zorzi. 

Further, the mandatory and exclusive nature of the Qadhis courts’ jurisdiction proposed by the bill would eliminate the ability of a Christian or other non-Muslim to seek justice in the civil court system when there is a family, custody, or inheritance dispute involving a Muslim who pursues a lawsuit within the Qadhis court system.  

Although the proposed bill allows decisions of the Qadhis courts to be appealed to the High Court of Uganda, it requires any such appeal to be heard by a Muslim judge and four Muslim scholars, with no further appeals available. 

Implications for Women and Girls

The mandatory application of Sharia law would legally disadvantage Christian women and girls. The experience of Nigeria highlights this issue. Despite Nigerian law mandating 18 years as the minimum age for marriage, many Sharia courts permit and recognize underage marriage. This has led to the kidnapping, forced conversions, and involuntary marriages of minor Christian girls in Nigeria. The proposed Ugandan Qadhis Courts Bill does not have any provisions addressing such conflicts of law, introducing immense uncertainty and few checks on the Qadhis courts.  

Additionally, under Sharia law, women do not have the same rights under the law as men. This different treatment impacts ultimate decisions concerning divorce and child custody, as well as the weight of a woman’s testimony in court.  

Bill Must Be Rejected to Protect Religious Freedom in Uganda

If the bill is passed, Uganda would not be the first African nation to have Sharia courts, however, the system proposed under Uganda’s Qadhis Courts Bill offers many less protections than similar systems. For instance, the Kenyan Sharia “Kadhis’” courts cannot exercise jurisdiction over non-Muslims, and the Kadhis’ courts are voluntary even for Muslims. Additionally, unlike Uganda’s proposed bill, decisions of Kenya’s Kadhis’ courts are appealable to the secular High Courts, with no special provisions about the High Court’s composition. The Kenyan Kadhis’ courts are also subject to non-discrimination rules for witnesses, to correct for Sharia law’s unequal treatment of the testimony of women and non-Muslims.  

“We are very concerned at the Qadhis Courts Bill, which will require Christians and other non-Muslims to appear before Sharia courts, and formally introduces religious law into our national law,” said Arthur Ayorekire, the Vice President of the Uganda Christian Lawyers’ Fraternity. “We ask all Ugandans to speak out against the passage of the Qadhis Courts Bill. The bill is not necessary and will only lead to legal uncertainty, tensions between religious groups, and potentially will allow extremism to grab a hold in Uganda.“ 

The Uganda Qadhis Courts Bill, as proposed, would create a legal paradigm shift for Uganda and for Africa. The shift markedly increases the risk of religious freedom violations. 

ADF International urges Uganda’s parliamentarians to reject the proposed Qadhis Courts Bill and instead focus legislative efforts on protections that uphold freedom of religion and equal treatment under the law. 

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Europe’s Top Court Rejects Case of Christian Parents in Sweden Seeking Reunification with Daughters after 3 Years Separation

  • The daughters have been separated from their parents, and each other, since December 2022, absent any evidence of abuse, and despite deteriorating health conditions in foster care and repeated wish to be reunited.

  • European Court of Human Rights deems case inadmissible on the grounds of failure to exhaust legal remedies in Sweden.

STRASBOURG (10 March 2026) – The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled a case brought by Christian parents Daniel and Bianca Samson against Sweden as inadmissible. The parents were seeking justice before the court to regain custody of their daughters, claiming a severe violation of their parental rights. The decision of inadmissibility is final and cannot be appealed. ADF International lawyers are now reviewing the decision together with the parents and assessing possible next steps.

The two eldest daughters of the Samson family were taken by the state in December 2022 after the eldest 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. The daughters have been separated from their parents, and each other, since December 2022, even though the state found no evidence of abuse. 

“Parents have the primary responsibility and right to raise their children. When the state interferes with family life based on values-based parenting choices or discrimination on the basis of faith, fundamental freedoms are at stake."

- Guillermo A. Morales Sancho, Legal Counsel for ADF International

“We deeply regret the Court’s decision to reject this case, considering that this family has been torn apart for over three years despite a full investigation that cleared Mr. and Mrs. Samson of any abuse and the fact that the Social Services certified their capacity and fitness for parenting after they successfully completed an official training. Families should be free to live according to their convictions without fear of losing their children to the state,” said Guillermo A. Morales Sancho, Legal Counsel for ADF International. 

The European Court of Human Rights deemed the case inadmissible on the grounds of failure to exhaust legal remedies in Sweden, despite the legal team’s assessment that there were no further options for domestic recourse. 

Specifically, the Court indicated that it did not consider there to be an apparent violation of the right to respect for private life under the European Convention on Human Rights. It further suggested that questions relating to freedom of religion may be raised before national courts, an option the Samsons may now pursue. 

Background 

The couple of Romanian origin, who had been residing in Sweden for close to a decade, claim that Swedish authorities ignored the best interests of their children by refusing to reunite the family. The forced separation continued even after all allegations against the parents were dropped and prosecutors found no evidence of abuse. The case raises serious concerns about delays, overreach, and possible discrimination against Christians in Sweden’s child welfare system. The state has cited the family’s regular attendance at church three times a week to corroborate accusations of “religious extremism,” despite the fact that this simply reflects their religious beliefs and is a protected action under international human rights law. 

The Samsons currently are only allowed one supervised visit per month. This is complicated by the fact that the girls are placed in different foster care homes far away from each other. 

See our case page for more information: https://adfinternational.org/cases/samson-family  

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