IIRF Updates

Global Religious Freedom Index shows what’s happening in sub-Saharan Africa
The first report based on the Global Religious Freedom Index was released.

New reports based on Violent Incidents Database
Our Violent Incidents Database (VID) is expanding our ability to analyze incident data over time and to produce reliable reports spotlighting urgent situations where innocent

A productive year in 2024
As this is our first newsletter of 2025, it’s a good time to look back on the past year and see how we did. Overall,

Discrimination against Christians in Europe: Insights from Prof. Dr. Christof Sauer
The IIRF invites you to read a recent Christianity Today article highlighting discrimination and hate crimes against Christians in Europe. The article features insights from Prof. Dr.

“There is practically no socially relevant topic that does not play a role in religious freedom”
Yearbooks ‘Religious Freedom 2024’ and ‘Persecution and Discrimination against Christians 2024’ presented in Berlin

We take stock: Religious freedom worldwide in 2024
We report, analyse and assess the situation of human rights and religious freedom in 2024.
Statements
Religious Freedom News

Has the African Union done enough to advance FoRB and curb religious persecution?
This 2021 factsheet published by the USCIRF documents instances of religious freedom violations, including of a violent nature, against Muslims in Africa.

Request for a thematic hearing before the IACHR about threats to Cuban religious leaders
IIRF and partner organizations request the IACHR to protect the fundamental rights of religious leaders who have been victims of government repression since the July 2021 social outbreak in Cuba.

Genocide Emergency in Sudan
At the beginning of August, the organization Genocide Watch published a warning of possible genocide in Sudan.

Submission of Report for UN Universal Periodic Review on Nigeria
The Observatory of Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA), a partner organization of the International Institute for Religious Freedom (IIRF), submitted a report for the UN Universal Periodic Review on Nigeria.

IIRF publishes essays about religious freedom in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela
Dr. Dennis P. Petri, International Director of the International Institute for Religious Freedom (IIRF) publishes on religious freedom in various Latin American countries

UN Security Council adopts resolution to protect religious minorities
The United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution on freedom of religion to protect religious minorities in the Middle East and Africa