Global Christian Relief Red List 2025

Spotlight on Hidden Atrocities

​Striving for a Future with Even More Verified Persecution Data (Part 1)
In countries like Afghanistan, North Korea and Iran, governments tightly control the flow of information, making it difficult to obtain reliable and verifiable details about religious freedom violations. Much persecution occurs in underground communities where reporting incidents can invite harm, or in nations that deny access to even the most basic data. These constraints highlight the importance of viewing available reports as a call- to gather even more comprehensive and reliable information.
 
This desire to produce indisputable data on persecution and to build broader coalitions of concern can exclude atrocities that are generally believed but may remain unverified. The numbers recorded in the Violent Incidents Database, therefore, serve as a baseline. Sadly, the team at Global Christian Relief acknowledges that many more incidents of persecution often go unreported.
 
As an open-source, event-based repository and baseline, the Violent Incidents Database is dynamic. It is constantly updated and allows for ongoing improvements over time to ensure accuracy.
 
No one knows the exact number of Christians imprisoned in secretive North Korea, though some estimates suggest the number is 50,000+. These claims cannot be verified, but North Korea's longstanding dedication to eradicating Christianity makes them plausible.
 
The Pew Research Center's reports on global religious freedom rightly exclude all data from North Korea as unreliable. However, some accounts suggest that house churches exist in North Korea, often organized along family lines. Reliable evidence we've collected shows that 208 Christians have been arrested and sentenced, but the actual count is undoubtedly far higher.
 
Another hidden atrocity involves the burgeoning number of Muslim Background Believers (MBB) in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. This movement comprised of former Muslims is numerically significant but still in its infancy. One leader said, "The best number to remember to understand the MBB movement in the world today is 1517," referencing the year Martin Luther began the Protestant Reformation, which required the rapid creation and organization of new churches.
 
The 2025 Global Christian Relief Red List. Washington, D.C.