Russia: Sentenced to Forced Labor for Posting New Generation Church Material on Social Media bitterwinter.org/russia-sentenc… The decision against a man in Prokopyevsk confirmed that courts now treat with the same harshness “indesirable” and “extremist” organizations.

Once Popular, Deng Haipeng’s “Soul Shaping” Is Liquidated as a Xie Jiao bitterwinter.org/once-popular-d… The leader of a self-help group turned new religious movement was sentenced to seventeen years and six months in jail and his organization was banned.

France: The New Anti-Cult Law Denounced to the Constitutional Council bitterwinter.org/france-the-new… More than 60 Senators claim that the new article incriminating “psychological subjection” is against the Constitution and international treaties signed by France.

Pakistan: Mainline Newspaper Ridicules Itself by Spreading Chinese Propaganda on Xinjiang bitterwinter.org/pakistan-mainl… The Express Tribune, which is in partnership with The New York Times, published two pieces claiming that happiness and religious liberty reign in the Uyghur region.

The UN Condemns Pakistan Again for the Abductions and Forced Conversion and Marriages of Christian and Hindu Girls bitterwinter.org/the-un-condemn… On April 11, 2024, a forceful statement urged Pakistani authorities to respect their international obligations.

Campaign Against “Cults” Launched in Lhasa—But What Is a “Cult” in Tibet? bitterwinter.org/campaign-again… Tibet was never known as a hotbed of “xie jiao.” They may have achieved some success during the pandemic—or the CCP wants to label dissident Buddhists as “cultists.”

A Conference Discusses the Religious Liberty Crisis in Japan and Internationally bitterwinter.org/a-conference-d… While there are other critical situations, including in France, what is happening in Japan is unprecedented in a democratic country in our century.

Sichuan’s Qiuyu Qingcaodi Church: Elders Wu Jiannan and Hao Ming Sentenced to Jail Terms bitterwinter.org/sichuans-qiuyu… After a persecution that started in 2018, the two elders were sentenced to three years in jail with a suspended sentence of five years. #China

Pakistan: Discrimination Against Ahmadis Extends to Hospitals bitterwinter.org/pakistan-discr… The Pakistan Medical Association displayed anti-Ahmadi banners in front of the Allied Hospital in Faisalabad and called for discrimination of the Ahmadi patients.

South Korea: Adventist Student Allowed to Refuse University Admission Interview on Saturday bitterwinter.org/south-korea-ad… Reversing an earlier jurisprudence, both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court ruled that schedules should be adjusted to respect religious liberty.

China Boasts About Its “Creative Governance Measures” for the Uyghurs. Perhaps It Should Patent Them bitterwinter.org/china-boasts-a… The CCP has exhibited extraordinary creativity in organizing a genocide and gathering international support for it, including from Muslim countries.

Against Senate’s Opposition, France Passes New Anti-Cult Law bitterwinter.org/against-senate… The law creates a new crime of “psychological subjection,” restricts the possibility of criticizing mainline medical treatments, and seriously endangers freedom of religion or belief.

Mehmutjan Memet: A Uyghur Is Dying in Jail, His Family’s Pleas Are Ignored bitterwinter.org/mehmutjan-meme… Wife and children wait for news of a husband and father critically ill in a Chinese prison. His mother and other relatives are in jail too. #China #Xinjiang

Why the Catholic Church Denounced Bolivia to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights bitterwinter.org/why-the-cathol… A law passed in 2010 closed private institutions that delivered degrees in education, including the Normal Superior Catholic Institute Sedes Sapientiae.

The Hong Kong Jimmy Lai Trial: Some Advice to Judge Remedios from a Former Classmate bitterwinter.org/the-hong-kong-… The judge and I were together at King George V School. She should remember what she learned from her teachers, her church, and her family.

The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. 5. Why Are They Persecuted? bitterwinter.org/the-ahmadi-rel… The peaceful followers of the AROPL have been harassed, discriminated, and beaten in Muslim countries but also in Thailand and Sweden. Why?

China’s “Names War” Attacks India’s Arunachal Pradesh bitterwinter.org/chinas-names-w… China has “Sinicized” thirty geographical names of places in an Indian state it claims as its own.

The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. 4. The Divine Just State bitterwinter.org/the-ahmadi-rel… AROPL believers expect a millennial kingdom of peace and justice, ruled by a wise philosopher-king.

Yuxi, Yunnan: Ramadan Fasting Prohibited to Minors and Party Members bitterwinter.org/yuxi-yunnan-ra… The end of previous tolerance for Ramadan is seen as a punishment for local Muslims’ protests against the Sinicization of Najiaying Mosque. #China

The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. 3. Esotericism and Progressive Millennialism bitterwinter.org/the-ahmadi-rel… We may recognize in the AROPL some common traits with both esoteric movements and millennialist religions with a progressive approach.