The death of Mouhcine Fikri, a Moroccan fish vendor who was crushed alive in a garbage compactor while trying to prevent the destruction of a swordfish that had been taken from him, has sparked outrage and demonstrations after a video of the incident was widely circulated. An eyewitness said a policeman told the driver of the truck to crush Fikri in the compactor. Authorities called Fikri’s death an involuntary homicide. Fikri’s father urged protesters not to use his son’s case to cause sedition. Elsewhere, Saeed Zao, a Christian, survived an assassination attempt on 4 November. He is well-known because of his promotion of the rights of Christians, and has featured in many media interviews about comparative religion and religious freedom. He reported the incident to the police, but they have refused to register a report, calling him a ‘trouble-maker’. See also

Indonesian police have questioned Jakarta's Christian governor Basuki Purnama, better known as Ahok, over allegations that he insulted Islam, which led to a mass protest. This became violent and caused a number of police injuries and the death of an elderly man. Ahok now stands accused of insulting the Qu’ran while campaigning in governorship elections in September. At that time political attacks on him cited a Qu’ranic verse, which supposedly bars Muslims from choosing non-Muslim leaders. On Friday, protesters hurled missiles at police, who responded with tear gas and water cannon. Mr Purnama is the first non-Muslim Jakarta governor for 50 years and the first Chinese Indonesian to hold the post, making him a double minority in Muslim-majority Indonesia. He is widely popular in Jakarta for his fight against government corruption and his ability to raise the standard of living.

Two Sudanese pastors highlighting the persecution of Christians in their country for the purpose of safeguarding their fellow Christians are in custody. They face seven charges including waging war against the state and espionage, which carry the death penalty. Rev Hassan Abduraheem and Rev Kuwa Shamal are on trial with two others, Petr Jašek and Abdulmonem Abdumawla. The hearing, which was due to start in September, has repeatedly been rescheduled. Mervyn Thomas of Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is concerned about the continuing delays in the trial, stating, ‘Fair trial principles stipulate that criminal proceedings should occur within a reasonable time. In this case, the constant postponements, due to the absence of the judge or prosecutor or failure to transport the men to court, are prolonging proceedings unnecessarily, which is unacceptable, given the length of time these men have already spent in custody.’ CSW is calling for the unconditional and immediate release of ‘these unjustly detained men.’ See update at:

An evangelical Christian pastor has been elected as mayor of Rio de Janeiro, a city that is known for its liberal, left-leaning culture. Marcelo Crivella won the election with 59% of the vote. Crivella has a long history of living out his faith. He was a missionary in Africa, and is currently a gospel singer and a bishop in the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God. Rio is so well-known for its liberal culture and policies that one political commentator expressed disbelief, saying, ‘How is it possible that in Rio de Janeiro, a city of joy and openness about sexuality, there will be a very conservative mayor who discriminates and opposes Afro-Brazilian religions?’ Despite Rio’s liberal policies, Brazil has the largest population of Roman Catholics in the world, 22% identify as evangelical Christians, and the Rio evangelical churches are growing rapidly.