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While Christians in America enjoy religious freedom, many Christians around the world suffer persecution, and some are even martyred for their faith.
Open Doors’ World Watch List 2026 discusses the anti-Christian persecution in dozens of nations around the globe.
The list includes 50 countries — here’s a closer look at several of them:
North Korea
North Korea, a notoriously autocratic country ruled by Kim Jong Un, is one of the nation’s included in the list.
“If you are found to be a Christian in North Korea, you and your family could be immediately executed or sent to a terrible labor camp – forever,” Open Doors notes.
“North Koreans may only pay homage to the Kim regime, not God. Christian gatherings must be completely secret; a neighbor could inform on you with devastating results.”
Somalia
Somalia, a nation located in the Horn of Africa, is also included on the list.
“Anybody becoming a Christian in Somalia faces danger on all sides: from the authorities, from your clan and from anti-Christian extremists,” the report notes. “It’s illegal for a Muslim to become a Christian. Christians have no legal protection and can be harassed and intimidated by the authorities. Leaving Islam is also seen as seriously dishonoring your family and clan: they may disown, attack or even kill you.”
Al-Shabaab — which is designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. — has grown “more dominant in certain areas,” Open Doors notes, explaining that the group seeks “to eradicate Christianity, openly executing suspected believers.”
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Yemen
Yemen, a nation in the Middle East, comes next on the list.
Most Christians there have “converted from Islam,” according to the list, which says they “must practice their faith in absolute secrecy or risk a death sentence.”
“Last year, Western airstrikes were framed by the Houthis as ‘Christian aggression,’ pushing believers further underground,” Open Doors says.
The report highlighted the personal story of Aweis, whose own father told him that if he became a Christian, he would kill him.
“Aweis knew the dangers of following Jesus in Somalia the moment he showed his father a New Testament, which he obtained after becoming curious about Christianity,” Open Doors explains.
“I cannot stop you from reading your Bible,” his father noted, according to the report. “But if you become a Christian, I’ll be the one to kill you.”
The report adds, “Aweis later gave his life to Jesus.”
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Sudan
A civil war in Sudan has caused the globe’s “largest humanitarian crisis,” the list says. “The Christian community is hungry, on the run and facing strong persecution at the same time.”
Sudan is located in Africa.
“Sudan’s brief period of religious freedom has been rowed back, and oppressive ‘morality policies’ are back in force. Christians can face physical punishment to convert to Islam, with church leaders arrested. Many church buildings have been closed, bombed or taken over by militia groups,” according to Open Doors. “New Christians face rejection from their families and violence from Islamic extremist groups. In a lawless vacuum, they have no protection.”
