CHRISTIANS are being forced to worship in secret in parts of Ukraine occupied by Russia, as persecution of those who are not members of the Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church intensifies, Release International reports.
The charity, which monitors persecution of Christians, has described Ukraine as a country where persecution is “systematically increasing”.
Its new report, Persecution Trends 2025, sets out expected global trends in hostility against Christians in the coming year. In Ukraine, it warns that Christians who do not belong to the Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church are being forced to become “underground believers”.
“The Russian regime will not tolerate any form of Ukrainian Christianity in their territories,” it warns. One of the charity’s partners reported that even praying for Ukraine was now forbidden.
“Ukrainian Christians in the occupied territories are obligated to obtain Russian citizenship and re-register their churches under Russian law. They need to sever all connections with churches in other parts of Ukraine, as well as in the West. If not, they will be considered spies. Even praying for Ukraine is criminalised by the Russian regime,” the report says.
Evangelical Christians, in particular, are targeted: their homes are raided, and some are detained or deported. Ninety-five per cent of church buildings have been seized, and only those belonging to the Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church now open, the report says.
The Primate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, has been reported in the newspaper La Croix as saying that his Church is “entirely banned and in the process of destruction” in the region.
Ukraine passed a law last year banning religious organisations with links to Russia, the main target of which is the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) of the Moscow Patriarchate. The UOC announced its independence from Moscow three months after the invasion, but this move failed to convince the Ukrainian government, which has given all religious organisations affiliated to Russia nine months to end all relations with Moscow.
Around the world, persecution is increasing, Release International reports. It singles out India for particular concern: the rise of Hindu nationalism under the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has meant that anti-conversion laws have spread across states.
It said: “Nationwide it is estimated that 3,000 Christian leaders and pastors are held in various jails under these charges. The persecution is steadily increasing and becoming more severe, largely due to the policies of the current Government.” Church leaders are living “constantly in fear”, the report says.
Elsewhere in the region, Christians in Afghanistan under sharia law, and in Pakistan, where the conflict in Gaza is being used to fuel anti-Christian sentiment, are facing growing persecution. In Sri Lanka, restrictions on practising the Christian faith are growing, with mandatory registration for churches.
In Africa, violence against Christians at the hands of Islamist extremist groups continues. The Stefanos Foundation, which works with the Church in Nigeria, says: “Nigeria has been recognised as one of the most dangerous places to be a Christian, with over 8,000 Christians reportedly killed in 2023 alone because of their faith.”
The report warns: “And over four million refugees, mostly Christian farmers, have been displaced due to violence. . . Christians in Nigeria are to expect more violence, death, kidnappings and displacement in 2025.”
Persecution in China is “at its worst level since the Cultural Revolution”, partners of the charity report.
“There will be ongoing pressures in 2025 to conform to a surveillance state intent on reducing the growth and influence of the church [in China]. The year ahead is likely to result in increased arrests and imprisonments,” the charity forecasts.
The CEO of Release International, Paul Robinson, said that the new forecast showed increasing hostility towards the Christian faith in large parts of the globe. “The picture is clear and consistent in many of the countries highlighted in our report. The persecution of Christians continues, and is increasing. Christians in the UK need to be aware, and need to express their love and care for their fellow Christians,” he said.
releaseinternational.org