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Confronting Religious Persecution at the IRF Summit

Feb. 10Stories That Demand Action:

Last week I spoke on a panel at the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit in Washington, D.C.—a global gathering that brings together advocates, policymakers, and legal experts from around the world who are on the front lines of defending religious freedom. The Summit provides a rare forum to share firsthand experiences, expose ongoing...More

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Save Christians From Murder in Congo

Save Christians From Murder in...

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has once again become the site of unspeakable violence , with Christian communities being targeted by terrorists and militant forces. On February 15, over 70 Christians – primarily women, children, and the elderly – were added to the list of victims when they were abducted...More

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Andrew Brunson

This is the latest installment in a year-end series looking back at some of the numerous victories by the ACLJ in 2018.

The ACLJ is committed to protecting religious liberty and defending the persecuted Christian Church around the globe. This year, after nearly two years of tireless advocacy, we helped free a Christian pastor from wrongful imprisonment in Turkey.

For almost 2 years, we legally represented American Pastor Andrew Brunson and his family after he was wrongfully arrested and imprisoned in Turkey for his Christian faith.

Pastor Andrew had peacefully served the church in Turkey for more than 23 years before he was arrested, charged with “Christianization,” and put on trial with a possible sentence of 35 years – likely the rest of his life – in prison.

Pastor Andrew endured imprisonment, separation from his heartbroken family, and health problems (he rapidly lost 50 lbs. in prison), all because he is a Christian.

We launched a massive international legal advocacy campaign for his release. We took his case before Congress, the White House, and the United Nations, urging intervention for his release.

After more than two years of detainment, including a sham trial with spurious testimony from “secret witnesses” and no real evidence against him, Pastor Andrew was finally freed.
Pastor Andrew is now home in America with his wife and children, where he belongs.

We are grateful to President Trump, Members of Congress, and diplomatic leaders who listened to our requests and put pressure on Turkey to secure Pastor Andrew’s release.

We also thank every ACLJ member for your steadfast support and prayers for Pastor Andrew and his family.

But the fight for the persecuted Church is far from over. We’re representing and advocating on behalf of numerous other persecuted Christians who are suffering for their faith.

To help the ACLJ continue to have the resources we need to make these victories possible and continue defending persecuted Christians, please consider making a Tax-Deductible donation to the ACLJ through our year-end Matching Challenge. Your gift will be DOUBLED dollar-for-dollar through the end of the year.

You can read more in the ACLJ’s 2018 Victories series here.

Chip in today and double your impact.

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Signatures

Thibault van den Bossche  //

Dec 03, 2025

Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Turkey at the end of November marked the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the first “ecumenical” council in Christian history. Behind the ceremonial receptions lies a harsh...

Jordan Sekulow  //

Dec 20, 2024

A Christian pastor of a home church, Mojtaba Ahmadi, faces being sent back to Iran, where he has already endured over 170 days of brutal torture for his faith in Christ. The ACLJ is advocating at the U.N. for...

CeCe Heil  //

Jun 12, 2020

Christians within India are increasingly becoming the target of brutal persecution. And at the ACLJ, we’ve witnessed first-hand the escalation in targeted persecution of these Christians. For seven months, we...