Navalny's fight continues
New York Times
In a video released yesterday, Yulia Navalnaya said she would carry on the work of her husband Alexander Navalny to challenge President Vladimir Putin's autocratic rule and called on his followers to rally alongside her.
"I ask you to share my rage," she told Navalny's followers in the video posted to his YouTube feed, "to share my rage, anger and hatred of those who have dared to kill our future."
(Navalny, once a militant atheist, died a professing Christian who said his faith helped him endure prison, Christian Network Europe reports.)
She blamed Putin for her husband's death and suggested that Navalny's team was investigating the circumstances of his death in prison, which was announced by Russian authorities on Friday.
Navalnaya, 47, has long shunned the spotlight. But now, she is poised to emerge as a leader of the fractured pro-democracy movement. The dangers and hurdles she faces in trying to unite the opposition from outside Russia are significant.
Crackdown: At least 366 people have been detained in 39 cities across Russia since Navalny was pronounced dead, according to rights groups. Anton Troianovski, our Moscow bureau chief, told us that rights groups had said many of those detained were just laying flowers.
"Even doing that is a very dangerous statement in today's Russia," he said. "And at the same time, on state television, which is the main news medium in Russia today, there is pretty much no reporting on what has happened."
Sudan church set on fire
Barnabas Fund
A church in Wad Madani, capital of Sudan's Gezira State, was set on fire and suffered severe damage on 12 January. Church leaders hold the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) accountable for the blaze, given their control over the city.
Rev. Youssif Matar underlined the RSF's "moral and criminal responsibility for the incident". The RSF was prominent in the Islamist-led October 2021 coup and has faced accusations of mass killings of civilians in the Darfur region.
The church is the largest in the state and one of the oldest, having been built in 1939. The fire consumed the library which contained historical documents and devastated the main hall. The RSF has been in control of Gezira State since 18 December 2023 following the withdrawal of the Sudanese army. It has been responsible for attacks on churches elsewhere in Sudan during the current conflict.
Nigerian Muslims slaughter 113
Open Doors
On Christmas Eve, Islamic extremist gunmen killed at least 113 people in Christian-dominated villages in Plateau State, Nigeria. The well-coordinated attack started on 24 December and continued until the early hours of Christmas Day.
"These are all Christian-dominated villages," explained Jo Newhouse, spokesperson for Open Doors operations in Sub-Saharan Africa.
"It is tragic that many fellow Christians who were looking forward to a peaceful Christmas celebration with loved ones and their local congregations found themselves brutalised once again. Those who managed to escape the carnage with their lives are now uprooted, traumatised, and in mourning.
Vietnamese jailed for praying
Voice of the Martyrs
A Vietnamese Montagnard (highlands) Christian was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison on charges of 'secession and incitement' for holding prayer meetings in his home.
Nay Y Blang, 48, a member of the Central Highlands Evangelical Church of Christ, was sentenced on 26 January. Local media reported that Mr Blang was not given access to legal representation, and he was found guilty of inciting others to 'infringe upon the interests of the State'.
Mr Blang has been previously fined and imprisoned for practising his faith. In April 2005 he was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison by Phu Yen province for 'undermining the unity policy', and in September 2022 he was fined four million Vietnamese Dong (approximately $246) by the People's Committee of Song Hinh district for 'abusing democratic freedoms and belief freedoms'.
The Central Highlands Evangelical Church of Christ members belong to the Montagnard minority ethnic group which consists of approximately 30 indigenous tribes. The majority of Montagnards are Christians and live in Vietnam's central highlands, where they have a long history of conflict with the Vietnamese government.
Several prominent Montagnard leaders and pastors have fled the country due to fear for their safety. Christians are reluctant to gather for church services due to fear of government interference and harassment.
- compiled by Barney Zwartz
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