1. North Korea

In first position on the World Watch List 2010 is again North Korea, the country where every religious activity is recognized as an insurrection to the North Korean socialist principles. The situation for Christians is extremely harsh at this moment, even though the North Korean regime is slowly and steadily losing her iron control on North Korean society, and Kim Jong Il's physical health worsened after his stroke. Through mobilizing every resource of power, North Korea is desperately trying to control society in order to eradicate Christian activities. By means of combat campaigns of 150 days and 100 days, the North Korean government is trying very hard to demolish the street market system. Furthermore, many Christian believers were exposed during North Korea's strict searches. During the mentioned campaigns, the North Korean regime especially targeted secret Christians all over North Korea in order to arrest and kill them. They have used various horrible ways of torture against arrested Christians. Christians were sometimes used as a means of testing biological or chemical weapons. In spite of these inhuman circumstances, Christianity is growing and chances to hear the Gospel are growing, especially for those who live in cities nearby China.

2. Iran

This year, Iran passed Saudi Arabia and now holds the second position. The total number of points decreased slightly due to the absence of reports of Christians being killed for their faith, which happened during the previous reporting period. The wave of arrests of Christians which started last year continued even stronger during 2009, resulting in at least 85 Christians arrested. It is suspected that the arrests are a way for the Iranian government to distract attention away from internal problems (such as the domestic turmoil after the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June) and to show they are still in control. Most of those arrested were mistreated in prison. Although the majority of the arrested believers have been released, court cases are still pending and believers can be sentenced at any moment. Many released Christians are being monitored and threatened. The arrests caused great fear among Christians. Iranian authorities closed some churches during 2009. The primary reason for the church closures is the attendance of many newly converted Muslims in their services.

Islam is the official religion in Iran, and all laws and regulations must be consistent with the official interpretation of Sharia law.  Although ethnic (Armenian and Assyrian) Christians are a recognized religious minority who officially are guaranteed religious freedom, they have reported imprisonment, physical abuse, harassment and discrimination because of their faith. Armenian and Assyrian churches are allowed to teach fellow countrymen in their own language, but it is forbidden to minister to people with a Muslim background (speaking Farsi). Under the judicial interpretations of Sharia law, any Muslim who leaves Islam to embrace another religion faces the death penalty.

Many church services are being monitored by the secret police. Believers that are active in churches or the cell group movement are being pressured. They are questioned, arrested and put in jail and beaten. Individual believers are being oppressed by society, under pressure of the authorities.

3. Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has moved from position 2 to 3. This does not mean the situation of religious freedom for Christians has improved. The minor loss of points is caused by the fact that contrary to the previous reporting period, we did not receive any reports of Christians killed or physically harmed for their faith and only one report of a Christian arrested. A foreign pastor felt forced to flee the country after he received death threats, some coming from the "Mutaween", the Saudi religious police.

Religious freedom does not exist in the Wahhabist kingdom where citizens are only allowed to adhere to one religion: Islam. No legal protection is provided for freedom of religion, nor does this protection exist in practice. The legal system is based on Islamic law (sharia). Apostasy -- conversion to another religion -- is punishable by death if the accused does not recant. Although the government recognizes the right of non-Muslims to worship in private, the public practice of non-Muslim worship is prohibited. Non-Muslim worshippers who engage in such activities risk arrest, imprisonment, lashing, deportation, and sometimes torture. Believers from a Muslim background also run the great risk of honour killing if their family or social environment discover their new faith.

4. Somalia

During the reporting period, the situation in Somalia became worse. Ethiopian forces left the country in January 2009 and Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmad of the Djibouti-based Alliance for the Reliberation of Somalia (ARS) opposition was sworn in as president by the Parliament of the Transitional Government. In April 2009 Parliament voted unanimously to institute Islamic law, hoping to strengthen popular support for the government and siphon it away from the Islamist militias fighting an insurgency here. These militias (al-Shabaab and rival Hizbul Islam) control most of southern Somalia and fight Sheikh Ahmad and his government situated in the capital Mogadishu. Christians are monitored by the government and the Islamic militias. Extremist Al-Shabaab is even hunting for Christians, and we received reports of at least 11 Christians killed for their faith; several others had to flee, were kidnapped, arrested or physically harmed. The Transitional Federal Charter provides for religious freedom, but in practice this right is little respected, because the Charter also establishes Islam as the national religion and the constitution states that laws cannot contradict Islam. Most Christians live in southern Somalia. They are small in number, heavily persecuted and practice their faith in secret, living under extremely dangerous conditions. There are an additional few Christians in Puntland and Somaliland. Other Somali Christians live as refugees in neighboring countries.

5. Maldives

In the archipelago of the Maldives, Islam is the official state religion and all citizens must be Muslims. Persecution of Christians in the Maldives is systematic: legislation forbids the practice of any religion except Islam; the government regards itself as the protector and defender of Islam; churches are forbidden; importing Christian materials is prohibited; discrimination of non-Muslims is total; social control is enormous and the average Maldivian agrees with the prohibition of any religion other than Islam. In the country -- one of the least evangelized countries on earth -- there are only a handful of indigenous believers who practise their faith individually and in extreme secrecy for fear of being discovered. No converts have been killed for apostasy in the Maldives. There was no improvement in religious liberty in the reporting period. There were a couple of reports about foreign Christians who were deported from the country after Christian materials had been found in their luggage.

6. Afghanistan

To be a Christian in Afghanistan is still extremely difficult, particularly because the constitution is based on Islamic principles. Furthermore, Islam is the state religion and laws cannot contradict the beliefs and provisions of Islam. This reporting period was harsh for the Christians as the influence of Islam increased with the expansion of Taliban influence in many provinces. The Taliban threatened expat workers, Christian aid workers and local Christians.  The social pressure from family and society is still immense for Christians. Local people who didn't hide their Christian conversion often received threats of violence and even death against themselves and their families.  The threats were intended to produce anxiety, fear and to force believers to renounce their new faith.  In some cases, new believers were harmed and Christians were kidnapped. Furthermore, Christians faced discrimination at school, at work and when working with authorities.   Consequently, most Christians do not publicly express their belief or feel free to attend groups of believers coming together. As far as we know, contrary to last year, nobody has been killed for their faith. Despite all harshness, Christianity is still growing in Afghanistan.

7. Yemen

Yemen still holds position seven, but the total number of points increased. Last June nine expatriate Christian health workers were kidnapped by armed men. After a few days, the bodies of three of them were found, mutilated in a horrible way. The fate of the remaining six aid workers remains unknown. During the reporting period, there was an increase in seizure of Christian materials.

The Yemeni Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, but it also declares that Islam is the state religion and that sharia is the source of all legislation. The Yemeni government allows expatriates some freedom to live out their faith, but Yemeni citizens are not allowed to convert to Christianity (or other religions). Converts from an Islamic background may face the death penalty if their new faith is discovered. Proselytizing of Muslims is prohibited. Converts from Islam encounter opposition from the authorities and also extremist groups, who threaten ‘'apostates'' with death if they do not revert to Islam.

8. Mauritania

The situation in Mauritania deteriorated gravely in the reporting period due to the murder of a Christian aid worker in June 2009, the arrest and torture of 35 Mauritanian Christians in July 2009 and the arrest of a group of 150 of Sub-Saharan Christians in August 2009 for having their own church meeting (these meetings are only allowed in a few Catholic and Protestant churches). The murder was claimed by al-Qaida in the Maghreb (AQIM), a terrorist group from Algerian origin recently linking up with al-Qaida and widening the scope of its activities to the whole of North Africa. However, local police were responsible for the arrest and torture of Mauritanian Christians and the arrest of the Sub-Saharan Christians. The Mauritanian Constitution defines the country as an Islamic republic and recognizes Islam as the religion of its citizens and the state. The government limits the freedom of religion by prohibiting the printing and distribution of non-Islamic religious materials and the proselytizing of Muslims. A military junta, conducted by General Aziz, toppled the country's elected president in 2008. Mauritanian pro-democratic parties urged the African Union to pressure the ruling junta to obey its directive to reinstate the toppled president. After many discussions and the dismissal of the former president, General Aziz was elected as new president in July 2009.

9. Laos

The church is relatively small but continues to grow (about 200,000 believers, mostly belonging to ethnic minorities). There was no improvement in religious liberty in the reporting period. Persecution in Laos includes a few restrictions in legislation. The government's attitude is very negative and restrictive towards Christians, and all believers are under strict surveillance because they are regarded as agents for the USA to bring political change in Laos towards ‘democracy.' The church cannot operate freely and its activities in society are limited. Christians are restricted in their roles in the family and in the village. Christian converts who renounce evil spirit worship come under great societal pressure. From time to time believers are arrested, and many of them experience extreme physical and emotional pressure (torture) to renounce their (new) faith. In the reporting period two Christians were killed; two Christians were in jail while at least another 21 were arrested and held without trial. Christians were physically harassed on a regular basis and a small number of churches were destroyed or damaged. Despite the high level of persecution in Laos, there are many unregistered activities and the church seems to be growing.

10. Uzbekistan

The religious freedom in Uzbekistan has deteriorated during recent years. The atmosphere has become more anti-Protestant. This became apparent in an increase in raids and confiscation of literature. Many Christians were arrested and fined. Many Christian leaders were interrogated and physically and mentally harassed at police stations, where they were held for varying lengths of time. Furthermore, relatives of Christians used physical abuse to pressure Christians to convert to Islam. Another sign of the changing situation is that the authorities used the media to slander Christians. They showed a popular movie on television, which was originally broadcast in May 2008, named ‘In the Clutches of Ignorance'. In that movie Christians were portrayed in a negative way and they were even identified with sects and described as Satanists. Active Christians were accused of using drugs and finances in order to win people to Christianity. The TV program also focused on how the Protestant ‘sects' deceive children. The program was repeated several times (most recently in September 2009) and produced on DVD. The impact was very intimidating. This resulted in an active anti-Christian promotion. In spite of the persecution, the church in Uzbekistan continues to grow. Many Christians are actively looking for ways to reach others with the Gospel. Uzbek Christians face many obstacles, as singing and preaching in the Uzbek language is prohibited and Uzbek Christian fellowships cannot obtain registration. Without registration their meetings are illegal. The situation for Christians remained difficult.

World Watch List of the top 50 persecutors.

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