Source: www.vomusa.org
Date: November 12, 2025
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News From the Field
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| MALAYSIA: Judge Rules in Favor of Pastor Raymond Koh’s Family On Feb. 13, 2017, Pastor Raymond Koh was abducted off the streets of Malaysia and hasn’t been seen or heard from since. In 2020, his wife, Susanna, and their family filed a civil case against the Malaysian government and the police. After nearly nine years of uncertainty, the Malaysian High Court ruled on Nov. 5, 2025, that one or more police officials were involved in his abduction, acting “oppressively and arbitrarily” under orders and misusing their power. The court ordered the Malaysian government to pay the Koh family RM10,000 ($2,350 USD) per day from the date of Raymond’s disappearance until he is found. The judge also ordered the police to reopen the investigation and report progress to the Attorney General every two months. “We are overjoyed and thankful to God that we have an honest and fair judgment,” said Susanna. However, the Attorney General’s office in Malaysia has already announced that they will appeal the court’s decision. Hear Susanna share her story on this episode of VOM Radio. ERITREA: Arrests of Christians Increasing VOM’s front-line workers report that arrests of Christians in Eritrea have increased in 2025 with very few releases of current prisoners. Since Jan. 1, 2025, there have been over 200 new arrests, placing the total number of Christian prisoners in the country at around 550. Christian prisoners are provided meager rations and held in shipping containers in extreme desert conditions, often for years. VOM Radio host Todd Nettleton recently spoke with the daughter of imprisoned Eritrean pastor Dr. Tecleab Menghisteab on this episode of VOM Radio. VOM supports Christian prisoners in Eritrea as well as their families. INDIA: New Law Approves Life Imprisonment for “Forced Conversion” Uttarakhand state, India, increased the scope and penalties of its anti-conversion law with a new amendment passed in August 2025. The bill criminalizes “acts like promoting or inciting conversion through social media, messaging app or any online medium.” Under the amendment, the maximum penalty for “forced conversion” increases from 10 years in prison to life imprisonment, making it one of India’s harshest anti-conversion laws. Anti-conversion laws have long been used to imprison and punish pastors, church planters and evangelists. VOM supports pastors, front-line workers and their families who are facing persecution in India. NIGERIA: Militant Fulani Herdsmen Kill Christians, Including Children On Aug. 24, 2025, Fulani herdsmen killed seven Christians, including five children, in Kaduna state, Nigeria. One of the children was only one year old. Eight others were injured by bullets and machetes. Just days later, on Sept. 7, more Fulani herdsmen killed eight Christians and wounded nine others, also in Kaduna state. VOM supports Nigerian Christian widows who have lost their husbands in attacks like these. |
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