First, the praise. In 2019, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) investigated the 2017 forced disappearances or abductions of Koh and Shia convert Amri Che Mat.

Todd Nettleton of The Voice of the Martyrs USA says, “There was a special task force report about the two abductions” released after the investigation, but the government withheld this report from Koh’s wife, Susanna, and her lawyers.

“The government said, ‘No, that’s a top secret report. We can’t show that to you,’ and there was a lot of back and forth during the court case,” Nettleton continues.

Last week, “The government was ordered by the judge [to] turn over the report to Susanna (Koh) and her attorneys.”

This report should help Susanna Koh understand, at least in part, what happened to her husband when he was abducted by police in broad daylight nearly ten years ago. You can see our coverage of the Raymond Koh case here.

Roadblocks remain

Susanna Koh is suing the Malaysian government in search of answers, and she had a huge win last fall. “The victory that she won in November was very remarkable. It was a milestone victory,” Nettleton says.

“The judge said that it was the police who abducted Raymond Koh and ordered the government to pay damages and compensation to the Koh family until Raymond Koh was located. That dollar amount is going up every day until Raymond Koh is found or there’s an explanation of what happened to him.”

Pastor Raymond Koh, center, with his wife Susanna and their family. (Photo courtesy of The Voice of the Martyrs USA)

Now, the reminder to pray: “The government immediately went into court and appealed that ruling, including the ruling that the police had to reopen the investigation, and the government was issued a stay,” Nettleton says.

“Essentially, the whole thing is on hold while that stay is in place. Susanna told me it could be two to five years while that works its way through the legal system.”

How to pray

Pray for strength and endurance for the Koh family. “Pray for Susanna and her attorneys. This is a long, hard road,” Nettleton says.

“This was a years-long legal process to get to that verdict, and now she’s facing another years-long legal process to fight the appeal and get through to hopefully confirming the verdict. It would be easy to grow weary and discouraged.”

Pray for courage and faith for persecuted Christians throughout Malaysia. Nettleton says, “The Raymond Koh case really is kind of a warning to Malaysian Christians: ‘We can find you. We can punish you.’”

Header image courtesy of The Voice of the Martyrs USA. 

On March 26, Finland’s Supreme Court convicted former Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen (header photo) and Bishop Juhana Pohjola of a hate crime. The case stands out not only for the conviction itself, but for how it was prosecuted. Authorities used the “war crimes and crimes against humanity” section of Finland’s criminal code — a category typically reserved for far more severe offenses.

The charges stem from a pamphlet published more than 20 years ago, in which the two outlined a biblical view of family and expressed concerns about gender-related issues. Päivi Räsänen has also previously faced accusations of hate speech for citing Scripture, including the book of Romans, though she was acquitted of those charges in earlier court rulings.

Floyd Brobbel of Voice of the Martyrs Canada explains the legal basis behind the ruling: “It’s under a hate speech law that has a very loose or vague definition of hate, that these two were convicted.”

From Finland to Canada’s Bill C-9

The decision is now echoing beyond Finland, fueling renewed discussion in Canada over Bill C-9, also known as the Combatting Hate Act. For more background on the bill and its potential impact on religious groups, see our previous coverage (here and here).

(Photo courtesy of VOM Canada)

Brobbel says the concern lies in how “hate” is defined and applied: “The concern remains that the loosening of the definition of hate could, in fact, in the long run, do exactly what they say the bill will not do.”

At a deeper level, the situation raises questions about how religious beliefs are interpreted in modern legal systems — whether they are assessed on evidence or increasingly through the lens of perceived offense. Some observers see parallels between the developments in Finland and what could potentially unfold in Canada.

Bill C-9 has already passed the House of Commons and is now before the Senate. If it advances, it will return to Parliament for final reading.

As lawmakers consider the bill, Brobbel is calling for prayer: “Pray that they would have the wisdom to carefully consider the implications of this bill and tighten up some of the descriptions that need to be tightened up.”

Visit Voice of the Martyrs Canada to learn more about how they serve the persecuted Church.

Header photo: Portrait of Päivi Räsänen (photo courtesy of FinnishGovernment via Wikimedia Commons)

Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs USA (VOM) says, “People came in on bikes and motorcycles, opened fire. The initial reports were at least 30 people killed. I think that number is going to rise as some were badly injured.”

This coordinated attack targeted believers, as the affected community in northern Jos is almost entirely Christian.

“The gunmen were yelling, ‘Allahu akbar,’ or ‘Allah is great,’ as they were conducting this attack,” Nettleton says. “So there clearly was an Islamist ideology that was driving this – and the fact that it was on Palm Sunday, I don’t think that is insignificant in this story as well.”

(Photo courtesy Voice of the Martyrs USA)

Northern Nigeria remains a hotspot for Christian persecution. That reality makes it difficult for believers to discern between empty threats and imminent danger.

Nettleton says, “Our Nigerian contact said there had been threats in Jos. Even in the last two or three weeks, there had been threats made against Christians, against churches…. The threat level is always elevated. So [it means] differentiating between, ‘Is this sort of a regular threat? Or is this really serious? Do we need to pay extra attention to this?'”

Boko Haram and Fulani militants frequently carry out attacks on Christians in Nigeria’s Muslim-majority north. While neither group has officially claimed the attack in Jos, Christian holidays often become opportunities for Islamist violence.

“One of the things that we…at The Voice of the Martyrs try to do is bang the drum for us to remember Christians are at extra risk on these holy days – on Christmas, on Easter. During times when there are a lot of Christians gathering, the gatherings are obviously known. They’re very public, and so the risk is greater in these holidays.”

(Photo courtesy of VOM USA)

With Easter quickly approaching, the Church in Nigeria needs your prayers.

Nettleton urges, “Think about brothers and sisters who are worshiping and celebrating the same resurrection we are, but they’re doing it in a place where they are in danger, where the threat is very real to them – to pray for them, to remember them as Hebrews 13:3 tells us to do. I think, honestly, that adds a depth to our celebration of the resurrection.”

Header photo courtesy of VOM USA.

The Tigray conflict that lasted from 2020 – 2022 took a high toll on the area. Even with a peace deal that was reached in 2022, tensions have remained high. Lately, conflict has increased.

Persecution or War?

Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs USA says with such longstanding volatility, it can be challenging to discern what some of the violence means. When a group of Christians are attacked, is it part of the violence of war or is it targeted persecution?

Nettleton says, “That’s one of the things that’s happened over the past couple of years in Ethiopia, is we’ve seen these attacks. It’s like, okay, was that warfare? Was that persecution? But when you see none of the other buildings in the neighborhood got blown up, except the church, it’s like, well, wait a minute, somebody was targeting that church. That was persecution. That was a targeted attack against that church.”

(Representative image courtesy of Hervé Clootens via Pixabay)

Violence crossed the line into persecution in February. There was an attack at a market in the East Arsia Zone in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. This region is home to the Oromo ethnic group which is primarily composed of Muslims; however, it also includes a significant Orthodox Christian population.

“In this attack, twenty Orthodox Christians were killed, as well as a Muslim guard at the market. Some others are missing, so they are believed to have been kidnapped by the attackers. A priest was among those who were killed when the attackers actually entered into a church building. So again, this is not just a market. This is a church that they entered into. They were shouting religious chants as they went in,” Nettleton says. “So this does seem to be a very targeted attack.”

Stand with the Church in Ethiopia

As the Church in Ethiopia faces increased warfare and persecution, Nettleton notes that Christians need prayer. Pray for safety, but also for a heart to continue to share the Gospel.

“I think we want to pray for God’s protection over them, obviously, but also, I think just praying for a spirit of forgiveness. Praying that this won’t create bitterness and anger within the hearts of Christians as they face this kind of pressure. As they face these kinds of attacks, it would be very easy to grow weary. It would be very easy to grow bitter. And so pray that the Lord will help them to keep a soft heart towards the people around them, and even for opportunities to share the Gospel.”

If you want to help support persecuted Christians through the ministry of The Voice of the Martyrs USA, click here.

Representative header photo courtesy of Tep Ro via Pixabay.

“A year ago, the man who’s now the president of Syria was considered a terrorist and had a $10 million bounty on his head from the US government. This month, he was in the Oval Office meeting with the President of the United States,” The Voice of the Martyrs USA’s Todd Nettleton says, noting the situation’s irony.

“The big question is, how much has the Syrian president changed?”

Despite al-Sharaa’s declaration of religious freedom, believers remain skeptical.

“In public speeches to the international community, he has talked about a Syria where different religions live side by side in harmony,” Nettleton says.

However, “Our Syrian Christian brothers and sisters are hearing what’s being said in Arabic, and they’re concerned about the future. What they’re hearing from government troops is ‘Just wait. Wait till we get established, then we’re coming for you,’” he continues.

“We have seen attacks on the Druze minority. We have seen attacks on Alawites in the last year, and Christians in Syria are understandably concerned.”

Meanwhile, authorities extend a curfew in Homs following the weekend murder of a minority couple. Syria’s third-largest city is home to Sunni and Shiite Muslims, Alawites, and Christians.

Praise God for the faithful witness of Christians who have remained in the country despite hostile conditions.
(Photo, caption courtesy of VOM USA)

While a new bout of sectarian clashes keeps Syria on edge, the instability also presents an opportunity for Gospel outreach. “People are looking for something permanent,” Nettleton says.

“They’re looking for answers, and that can be a time when people come to Christ. Let’s pray for that.”

Pray for protection and boldness for Christians in Syria. Pray for continued revival and Gospel movement in areas affected by upheaval. Consider helping Syrian Christians tangibly through VOM USA.

Header image depicts US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, US Vice President JD Vance, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in November 2025.  (Wikimedia Commons)

“We still enjoy good, solid, strong religious freedoms here in South Korea,” he affirms. 

Currently there are four ongoing cases of religious freedom in South Korea, which Foley says are best understood as involving the application of election laws to churches rather than a general crackdown on religious freedom. He points out that anytime there is a change in government, politically vocal pastors or ministry leaders become subjects of investigations. 

“The bottom line is it doesn’t indicate a trend of a South Korean government crackdown on religious liberty,” Foley says. 

Yet imprecise reporting continues to characterize mainstream media coverage of South Korea. 

For example, as South Korea and the United States cease to broadcast radio in North Korea, reports suggest that Christian broadcasts are among those no longer airing. Foley says that simply isn’t true. 

“The broadcasting that was curtailed by the US and South Korean governments was political broadcasting,” he explains. “Now, more than ever, when North Koreans turn their short-wave radio dials, what they’re going to encounter is more and more Christian broadcasts.” 

Beyond mischaracterizing the situation of Christians in South Korea, inaccurate reporting also overshadows actual concerns related to ministry. The current outlook for Christians ministering to their North Korean neighbors is especially dicey and, indeed, impacted by South Korean politics. 

As of September, South Korea has banned balloon launches into North Korea, likely a result of pressure from the North Korean government. The new law carries a jail term and fine.

View of North Korea from Odusan Observatory, South Korea. Courtesy of Tim Winkler via Unsplash.

For ministries who focus heavily on distribution of Gospel leaflets via balloon, this is a significant setback. In fact, when VOM began working in the region twenty-five years ago, North Koreans asked for two things: broadcasting and balloons. Foley views legislation against the latter ministry pillar as a reminder of where concerns around Korea should concentrate:

“Which is not about general news or religious freedom violations in Korea, but about specific decisions being made that do pose a challenge to North Korean ministry,” he says. 

Despite present and historical challenges, the North Korea Human Rights database shows the percentage of North Koreans who have seen a Bible increasing every year since 2000, with a high estimate of up to 8% of the population. 

“That’s remarkable because when we started it was literally zero percent,” Foley says. “So we know a difference is being made by the broadcasts we do, by the Bibles we get into North Korea through all available methods.” 

Please ask the Lord to guide Korean ministries as they face questions and concerns over how legislation will impact their work. Foley knows the Lord can use even restrictions for His good. 

“Things are always, in God’s plan, greater than we can perceive,” he says. 

In the spirit of Matthew 10:16, please ask the Lord to bless Korean ministry leaders with both wisdom and innocence; and pray they would maintain willingness before the Lord as He closes and opens doors in unexpected places. 

Pray also for North Koreans – for those who have heard the Gospel and those who have yet to hear – that all would receive God’s gift of salvation and grow in His likeness. Come what may, the Word of God will not be bound.

View of North Korea, courtesy of Unsplash. Featured photo: Evangelist in Seoul, courtesy of Theodore Nguyen via Pexels. 

Pastor Koh was driving to a meeting in 2017 when a convoy of masked men surrounded his car. Security footage showed at least 13 men and several vehicles kidnapping him from the street. Pastor Koh hasn’t been seen since.

When Susanna reported him missing, police questioned her about their ministry to Muslims instead of looking for her husband.

(Photo of Raymond Koh and his wife, courtesy TheStar.com)

Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs USA (VOM) says Pastor Koh was targeted — not just for sharing the Gospel, but for who he was reaching.

Nettleton explains, in Malaysia, “Persecution of Christians is very much dependent on your ethnicity. If you are Chinese, like Pastor Raymond Koh, then that’s fine for you to be a Christian. But if you are ethnically Malay, according to the constitution of the country, you are a Muslim…. Pastor Raymond was accused of reaching out to ethnic Malay Muslims with the Gospel.”

Susanna sued the Malaysian government and several police officers in 2020 after the nation’s Human Rights Commission found evidence of state involvement. In this week’s ruling, the judge confirmed that evidence showed police acted under government orders — not as rogue officers.

Although Nettleton says the decision may be appealed, Susanna called the verdict a step toward closure.

“That is good news for this family that has been suffering now for almost nine years, waking up every morning wondering, ‘Where is Pastor Raymond Koh? Is he alive? Is he dead? Is he sick? Is he well? Is he being mistreated?”

Nettleton says, “Hopefully, the ruling and especially the ongoing nature of the penalty will produce some really concrete answers about what happened to him and where he is.”

Malaysian flag (Photo courtesy of Izdihar Sahalan/Unsplash)

Pray that the truth of Pastor Raymond Koh’s fate would come to light. And — for the mission dear to his heart — pray for all peoples in Malaysia to know Jesus Christ.

“We want to pray for [Susanna], for God’s protection over her and her family,” Nettleton says. “But I think the biggest thing today is just, thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord, for this judgment. Thank you, Lord, for steps taken towards closure for this family, towards knowing what happened; and please protect them and open the vaults of information. Allow them to know the truth.”

Header photo: Pastor Raymond Koh, center, with his wife Susanna and their family. (Photo courtesy of The Voice of the Martyrs USA)

Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs USA says, “Even sat (satellite) phones had troubles working inside the country. Ministries are scrambling to figure out, ‘Okay, how are we going to hear from our partners?’”

People had no means of communication with each other or the outside world, and they had no idea how long the blackout would last. Unfortunately, the shutdown also restricted the only avenue of hope for many people.

(Photo courtesy of FMI)

Diplomatic and industry sources told Reuters that Taliban authorities ordered communication services to be shut down, citing morality concerns.

“They said, ‘We’re shutting down the Internet to prevent immorality.’ Well, what would be listed under immorality? In their minds, Christian content from the Internet would be considered immoral for their idea of following Islam,” Nettleton says.

“One of the things it definitely affects is Christian materials – online evangelism, social media evangelism, discipleship – that happens over an Internet connection.”

Thankfully, the Taliban restored connectivity after two days, but the shutdown sets a disconcerting precedent. Pray that Afghans will turn to Christ for peace and reassurance.

“The average Afghan looks at the Taliban, looks at the oppression and says, ‘Well, if that’s what it means to be a good Muslim, I’m not sure I want to be a good Muslim,’” Nettleton says.

“That plants some questions in the heart to say, ‘Okay, well, if I’m not a good Muslim, then what should I be?’ The Gospel has answers to those questions.”

Partner with VOM here to provide practical and spiritual support to Christians in Afghanistan. Pray for the protection of Christian leaders and believers who are being targeted by the Taliban.

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Joel Heard/Unsplash.

Non-Existent Organizations

Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs USA recently recorded a podcast with Chinese pastor, Brother Enfu*. He offered some insights on this unique concern of the underground church.

Nettleton says, “Every single church leader that has been charged in the last two years has been charged with financial crimes charges. They’ve been charged with fraud. They’ve been charged with so-called illegal business practices. And what it comes down to is the government comes in and says, ‘Hey, you’re collecting donations for an organization that doesn’t exist. That’s fraud.’”

Pastors facing this charge have very little chance at a defense. They cannot admit to having parishioners since that would require a legal church. The trials have been short and there is little chance for outside help since China says the arrests are for fraud not religious persecution.

(Image courtesy of Jacob Bentzinger on Unsplash)

Nettleton says that for Brother Enfu and other church leaders this poses a serious problem. Tithing, paying a pastor, and even providing healthcare or insurance for the pastor have become increasingly difficult.

“You can’t start a checking account for something that doesn’t legally exist. And the Chinese government is certainly monitoring financial transactions. They’re watching what’s going on. He talked about the fact that people bring their offerings in cash because they don’t want it tracked through some kind of electronic transaction, and the church doesn’t have a checking account where they could deposit checks. So people bring their money, their offerings, in cash. Then in his church they divided it up among the elders of the church,” Nettleton says.

Once the elders have the money, there still must be a legitimate reason for them to have it. So many church leaders have found themselves attending to these practical concerns while they struggle to find time to prepare to preach.

Smaller Churches, No Outside Training

Additionally, the crackdown in this way has forced larger underground churches to break up into smaller units. They need more leaders, but the avenues to train and pay them are fewer and more dangerous than in the past.

One area of increased concern is with outside training from foreigners. Brother Enfu noted that the government has cracked down on outsiders sharing the Gospel.

(Image courtesy of Zhang Kaiyv on Unsplash)

Nettleton says, “Not just in front of a crowd of people, but literally even in a one-on-one conversation, for a foreigner to talk about religion is now against the law in China. And so the need for Chinese leaders to be raised up, and Chinese leaders to stay and to train the next generation of leaders, that is something that is certainly on Brother Enfu’s heart. He encouraged us to pray for that as well.”

As a result of these new and creative means of persecution, Chinese parents are preparing their children for oppression and imprisonment. Nettleton says, “He talked about literally sitting around his own dinner table and talking with his own children about, ‘What will happen when I get arrested? Yeah, that that’s a strong possibility. But more importantly, what will happen when you get arrested my children? When you go to prison? Because that’s what it looks like to follow Jesus in China.’”

Please pray that God would continue to grow the church in China despite persecution.

If you want to listen to Brother Enfu’s interview in full, click here.

*Pseudonym

Header image courtesy of Ye Jinghan via Unsplash

Syria’s government says it thwarted a recent bombing attempt on a Catholic church. According to a report, the would-be attackers were on their way to Mar Elias Maronite Church in the city of Tartus. When security forces apprehended the men, they found an explosive device, a black flag and papers with written threats.

“They don’t say exactly when [they stopped the attack]. They don’t say a lot about the people who were captured, other than the fact that they identify them as loyalist[s] to former President Bashir al-Assad,” said Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs, USA. 

Even with those unanswered questions, the government report is an answer to prayer for protection for Syria’s Christians. The nation’s bigger picture remains grim. Christian, Druze and Alawite minorities have endured multiple attacks in recent months.

“When you see the attack in June, you see the pastor from a Druze background that was killed in late July, then you hear of another attack on a church that apparently was prevented, [you see the pattern of danger],” said Nettleton. 

“If you are a Christian in Syria right now, you are understandably nervous. Because while the government has said all the right things about protecting religious minorities, it is not clear that they are committed to [making] that a reality.” 

But even traditional Christian communities (such as Catholic or Orthodox) have it better in Syria than Muslim-background believers.

“When the government is talking about Christians in Syria, they are talking about those traditional Christian communities. They are not in any way talking about Muslim converts to Christianity,” said Nettleton. “Those people, in the eyes of the government, do not have protection. They don’t even talk about protecting them.” 

Praise God for answering prayers for protection for the Catholic church in Tartus. Ask Him for continued protection. 

Pray for Syria’s government to be held accountable to uphold religious freedom. “We need to pray for strong leaders who will do that as they interact with the Syrian government,” said Nettleton.

A minaret and a church steeple side-by-side in Syria. (Photo courtesy of Ali Wassouf/Unsplash)

Header photo courtesy of Linus Schütz via Pixabay.