Christian Solidarity International issued a warning on International Religious Freedom Day that religious persecution is increasing worldwide. The organization noted that hundreds of thousands of Christians have been displaced from conflict zones in the Middle East due to violent jihad. The group's president highlighted the retreat of religious freedom and urged the United States and partners in the International Alliance for Freedom of Religion and Belief to strengthen their foreign policy efforts. The group emphasized the need to promote this human right vigorously and without selectivity, commending the original legislators of the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act.
The Armenian Apostolic Church has expressed gratitude to Christian Solidarity International for defending its autonomy against government interference. In a letter dated October 7, 2026, Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisian wrote on behalf of Catholicos Karekin II, praising CSI President Dr. John Eibner for rejecting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s claims of a church crisis. The church highlighted CSI’s August report on unlawful campaigns to silence the institution and its support for displaced Armenians from Artsakh. This exchange follows a political conflict that began in May 2025 after the Catholicos criticized Azerbaijan’s actions in Switzerland. The church views religious freedom as a fundamental human right.
Experts at a UN Human Rights Council side event in Geneva warned that Azerbaijan is systematically erasing Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno Karabakh. Speakers, including representatives from Christian Solidarity International and the European Centre for Law and Justice, cited satellite-confirmed demolitions of churches and cemeteries since the 2023 displacement of Armenians. Panelists also highlighted the ongoing detention and alleged torture of Armenian prisoners of war, criticizing the lack of international monitoring and the closure of the ICRC delegation in Baku. The group urged UN bodies to enforce court orders and halt impunity for what they described as ethnic cleansing and cultural erasure.
Christian Solidarity International reports that a 17-year-old girl was rescued from human trafficking in India after being trafficked from a region in central-eastern India. After six months of unpaid domestic labor in a major city, she was reunited with her family. CSI partners provided counseling and support, helping her regain confidence and complete her final year of school. In a future year, the teen began seamstress training at a local sewing center. The organization notes that it rescued 100 children last year and operates rehabilitation centers for survivors unable to return home, aiming to provide long-term livelihood prospects.
Christian Solidarity International released a report analyzing violence against Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt. Data from the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa shows that several states in the region accounted for nearly 60 percent of such killings between 2019 and 2025. The outlet attributes much of the violence to Fulani ethnic militias targeting Christian communities for land and faith. The report argues that state security forces have failed to intervene effectively and that local authorities often suppress evidence by ordering rapid mass burials. Consequently, impunity persists for attackers, with no prosecutions recorded for many incidents since 2015.
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