All cases

Court Case begins for Norwegian Doctor Fired for Exercising Right to Conscience

June 1, 2016, Norway

Katarzyna Jachimowicz, a Polish family physician working in Norway, became the first medical professional in the country fired because she exercised her conscience rights by refusing to administer abortifacients.

Church the Victim of Two Fires in One Day

May 24, 2016, Belgium

In Mont-Sainte-Geneviève, two fires significantly damaged an historic church. The first started in the sacristy. The fire fighters had just left the scene after managing to control that fire when another much bigger fire in the church roof was reported.

European Court of Human Rights Finds Turkey Interfered with Freedom of Religion

May 24, 2016, Turkey

The case concerned the inability of Mersin and Izmir Jehovah's Witnesses in Turkey to obtain an appropriate place to engage in worship due to restrictive laws. The ECtHR held that such restrictions amounted to a direct interference with their freedom of religion.

Three Incidents in Churches in the Same Region in Just Two Weeks

May 22, 2016, France

In a press release Father Benoît Delabre reported that on May 15th the altar in the Church of St. Madeleine-de-l'Île was set on fire in Martigues, about 800 kilometers south of Paris. On the same day, another unknown person desecrated the tabernacle which contained the consecrated hosts in the church at Jonquières in the same region. Additionally, Father Delabre himself was attacked a week later by a man he caught at the church door who appeared to be “trying to steal something.”

Green Party a Threat to Religious Liberty in Australia

May 21, 2016, International

Archbishop Anthony Fisher warned that religious liberty is at stake in Australia's national elections because of the Green's proposed $32 million "Safe Schools" Program which would charge parents, schools, and churches with discrimination if they fail to conform.

Catholic Pensioner Murdered in her Sleep; Left with Crucifix in her Hands

May 19, 2016, Germany

A 27-year old Muslim man was found guilty and given a life sentence for the murder of a 70-year-old woman in Bad Friedrichshall on May 19, 2016. After strangling the woman with a telephone cord, Abubaker C. left writing on the wall "It's payback time" and put a cross in the woman's hands. He then stole valuables and fled. The prosecution argued that the murderer's motive was both theft and to kill a "disbeliever".

Catholic Nursing Home to Stand Trial for Denying Active Euthanasia

May 18, 2016, Belgium

In 2011, after initially agreeing to euthanasia for a 74-year-old cancer patient, a Catholic nursing home denied the physician access to the patient. The patient had to be taken home where she could receive the doctor.

Evangelical Church Attacked in Manosque

May 18, 2016, France

An Assemblies of God church in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azurin was the victim of arson. Bibles and other books inside the church were stacked up and burnt, according to Pastor Alain Denizou.

Catholic and Protestant Churches Protest Exclusion from Population Information

May 17, 2016, Netherlands

Legislation puts an end to a program that helped churches keep track of their local memberships using data provided by the municipal administration.

Christian Refugees Face Discrimination in Austria

May 13, 2016, Austria

According to the NGO "Christian Solidarity International" (CSI), Christian refugees are being repeatedly discriminated against in Austrian refugee centers.