Christians who have experienced persecution and suffering firsthand for their faith have asked people in the free world to keep praying for their brothers and sisters in prison.
The world needs to "wake up" to what is happening in Nigeria, Release International has said, after reports revealed the horrific death toll among Christians at the hands of jihadists and Fulani militants.
Eritrea has freed 21 female Christian prisoners but the country's forces stands accused of attacking churches in the troubled Tigray region of neighbouring Ethiopia.
Persecution has been widespread across India and China even during the pandemic, but things are only likely to get worse in 2021, Release International has warned.
The unjust detention of Christians, including wrongful arrest and kidnapping, is "one of the most prevalent, enduring and serious forms of persecution today", research by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has found.
Newly released data from an ongoing Pew Research Center study shows that government restrictions on religion around the world have risen to a record level amid increases in government restrictions on religion in Asia and Pacific countries, most notably.
"The Covid-19 emergency has allowed populist and authoritarian heads of state to tighten their grip on power and crush dissenting voices," says Open Doors' Ron Boyd-MacMillan.