In the news

-Hindu extremists have filed a counter-complaint of "forced conversion" against two Christian women who had lodged rape charges against Hindu villagers in Madhya Pradesh state. The women had filed the charges after local leaders encouraged the Hindu villagers to gang-rape the two Christian women after the husband of one refused to deny Christ. read more here

-Saudi Arabian police armed with wooden clubs raided a private Christian worship meeting, arresting four East African citizens leading the service. More than 100 Eritreans, Ethiopians and Filipinos were gathered for worship in a home on June 9th. Startled worshippers brought chairs to seat the policemen, who sat and waited with clubs in hand for the three-hour worship service to conclude before making arrests. read more here

-A Baptist Pastor in Kazakhstan has been fined more than three times the estimated average monthly salary, for leading unregistered religious activity. In some Kazakh regions, state registration demands information on the ethnicity, family status, religious education of congregational leaders, their age and type of work and "the most acute problems worrying parishioners", as well as details of members' political affiliation. read more here